When to See A Chiropractor for Neck Pain and Back Pain
Did you know over 80% of the United States population will experience back pain at some time in their lives? Though back pain may be temporary, how do you know when it is time to go to a professional for help? Let’s talk about some warning signs to help you better understand when it’s time to get your back pain treated.
- Chronic Pain. Generally, when experiencing pain, we often turn to the medicine cabinet for help alleviate it. Chiropractors provide non-invasive, drug-free treatment that works to find the cause of your pain rather than just dealing with the pain itself. It is important to note that pills can only help pain temporarily and have the potential to become dangerous the longer you stay dependent upon them for relief.
- Radiating pain. Do you have pain that travels down your arms, legs, or lower back? Do you have numbness or weakness in your feet or legs? If you answered yes to either of these, irritated nerves might be your diagnosis. The spinal cord houses the central nervous system, which we consider to be the function powerhouse of the body. If you have a slipped disc it could cause a nerve to be pinched, leading to pain and irritating sensations in your extremities.
- Night Pains. Does your pain get worse at night? If so, that could be an indication of a serious health issue such as disc degeneration, spinal fractures or even spinal tumors. We believe that taking sleeping medication or painkillers is the worst thing you can do for your pain, as it only addresses the symptoms when the real problems could be much larger.
- Changing the way, you walk to avoid pain. Has your back or neck pain caused you to change the way you walk? If your answer is yes, a trip to the chiropractor is long overdue. Leaning to alleviate pain can cause your spine to narrow, putting extra pressure on your nerves. Treatment for this is VERY necessary, especially if you have been experiencing this for extended periods of time.
- Recent trauma. If you have recently been in a car accident or a circumstance that caused strain/pain on your body, it is best to see a chiropractor. The sooner you can make an appointment, the better you will be in the long run.
