When To See A Chiropractor
Five Signs You Should See a Chiropractor
Dr Theo Blöte from Jimboomba Chiropractic
The common belief is that you only see a chiropractor when you have back pain. Maybe you lifted something, woke up one morning with a stiff neck, or had a fall and now that pain just won’t go away. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that most people think of chiropractors as a cure for something that’s wrong instead of a way to prevent things from going wrong in the first place.
While a chiropractor may be able to help you overcome pain and other symptoms resulting from an injury or accident, visiting a chiropractor is also a great way to prevent many types of injuries.
Contact Jimboomba Chiropractic today to learn how Dr Theo Blöte may not only help you recover from a current injury, but also help ensure that you avoid common injuries in the future.
If you’re wondering whether a chiropractor can help you, here are five signs that you should see a chiropractor.
#1: You Have Chronic Pain in Joints or Muscles
Our first instinct is often to wait and hope the pain goes away. Or maybe like the ad on TV says, we are too busy for pain and we reach for panadol & neurofen. However, when that doesn’t work, we try the GP’s office for the good stuff. If the doctor can’t figure out what’s wrong we either suffer through the pain, or continue taking pain medications that can cause even more damage in the end.
Did you know?
The pain in your joints and muscles may be due to Poor Alignment of the Vertebrae within the spine. The body is designed to work as one big machine with many moving parts. Just like a car engine, when just one of those parts slips out of place, the whole engine can break down. Chiropractors are trained at university for 5 years to make sure all of your spinal vertebrae are moving together properly so that your body can function in the way that it’s supposed to.
#2: You Sit for Long periods or Perform Repetitive Tasks at Your Job
The new buzz catchphrase going around is, “Sitting is the new smoking!”. This might be is a little over the top. However, sitting for long periods, especially when hunched over a keyboard or phone, often results in poor posture and unwanted pressure on the neck, upper back and shoulders. That pressure can ultimately cause bones and discs to shift just enough to cause problems later on, like a slipped or herniated disc.
Did You Know?
Performing repetitive tasks also takes a toll on your body. Whether it’s typing or standing at a cash register twisting and turning all day, the repeated movements can lead to overuse / repetitive strain injuries that cause parts of the body to shift out of place. A chiropractor will seek to help address workplace ergonomics to minimise stresses to the body, show you ways to strengthen the body to combat the workload & ensure your spinal column is properly aligned so you don’t run into problems later.
#3: Sharp Pains Shooting Down Your Leg
Sharp pain shooting down the leg, tingling or weakness may be a sign of a pinched nerve or slipped disc and is often referred to as Sciatica. If your doctor or physical therapist has been unable to relieve your pain, a chiropractor may be able to help. In the event that traditional treatment has been unsuccessful, it’s possible that a compressed nerve is the cause of the problem. A chiropractor will examine you and perform a spinal adjustment to alleviate the pressure being placed on the nerve that is causing you pain.
Did You Know?
Sciatica by definition is pain in the leg. The leg is actually the lower half of the limb below the knee. Therefore Sciatica is properly defined as pain in the leg below the knee. But typically people including some heath professionals will refer to all pain the whole lower limb or one-sided backside as sciatica.
#4: You Suffer From Frequent Tension Headaches or Migraines
Frequent headaches can have many causes, but one of the most common is misalignments in the upper back and neck. If you have frequent headaches and your doctor hasn’t been able to give you an answer, a chiropractic adjustment may help reduce their frequency.
Similarly, many migraine sufferers have reported a significant reduction in the intensity and frequency of episodes with the help of chiropractic therapy.
Did You Know?
Research performed in Australia demonstrated that when the cervical spine (Neck) loses its normal alignment you could be up to 18x more likely to suffer headaches, neck pain or other symptoms.
#5: You’re An Active Person
If you’re an active person, your body likely takes a beating. While that beating is helping improve your physical and cardiovascular health, it may be causing problems as well. When we do things like exercise or engage in sports, our body is subjected to additional strain, pressure and jarring. These can all cause the spine to become misaligned. After years of engaging in these types of activities, our body can become prone to slipped discs, pinched nerves and other alignment problems. Regular visits to a chiropractor will ensure that your spine stays healthy while you’re keeping the rest of your body fit.
Did You Know?
A research paper sponsored by the Australian Spinal Research Foundation found that chiropractic adjustments boosted muscle contraction up to 70%, through improving the efficiency of contractions with in muscle group. A stronger contraction allows for greater strength within muscle groups.