When to See a Chiropractor
When should one see a chiropractor?
The answer is, any time. You don’t have to be crawling on the floor in pain before you pick up the phone to see a chiropractor. In fact, at that point it’s a bit late to expect immediate pain relief from chiropractic treatment.
But, let’s face it: most people are so caught up in life’s activities that they don’t see the doctor until their body demands it–usually by sending pain signals to the brain. Here’s where I remind everyone of the old saying, “An ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure.”
The best answer to the original question is, if you feel out of balance. You may be thinking, “What does out of balance refer to?” Here are some visual illustrations to help you understand:
- You look in the mirror and one shoulder is higher than the other
- You look in the mirror and notice that your torso is slightly crooked, like you are leaning to one side without trying
- You can turn your neck more to the right than to the left, or vice-versa
- You feel pain in a foot, knee or hip that impedes your ability to run or walk fast
- You have difficulty putting on a coat because your shoulders are stiff
- It takes longer to get out of bed, and going in the morning due to a stiff or achey back
Then, there are the more obvious times when you really should visit a chiropractor, at least to get checked:
- After a car accident where you experienced whiplash
- After a sports injury
- When you start experiencing nerve symptoms: numbness, tingling, weakness in your arms or legs
- When your back starts hurting after sitting for an hour
Symptoms (pain, numbness) that start gradually (the term for this is insidious onset) are the end-stage of a disease process. The moment you start sensing the pain is not the moment the disease process started; it could have originated months, even years ago. Like the pain from a tooth cavity or cancer, gradual onset back pain typically is end-stage of joint dysfunction.
The lesson to learn here is to not wait until you start feeling pain, come in before the symptoms have a chance to manifest.
Dr. Perez
San Ramon Chiropractor
