Should I See a Chiropractor? 7 Signs That It's Time

Do you suffer from back pain or joint stiffness? What about headaches?

If you’ve been putting off going to the doctor for chronic aches and pains, you may be doing more harm to your body than good. When you pull a muscle it, understandably, tightens up. When muscles are tight for prolonged periods of time, they start to pull on other muscles and sometimes joints.

If the muscles have been pulling on the joints for too long, it can cause them to sit slightly out of place. It’s at this point that you’ll need to see a chiropractor to realign your joints and help those muscles relax.

Still not sure if you should see a chiropractor? Check out these signs and symptoms that could mean it’s time for a visit.

1. Headaches

Headaches are oftentimes caused by external problems, rather than internal (inside your head).

Unless you have a head injury or brain tumor, your headache is likely caused by a muscle spasm or joint stiffness.

Next time you feel a headache coming on, pay attention to where it hurts. Does the back of your head hurt? Does the pain extend into your neck?

Try to take your hand and massage the muscle in your neck and shoulder to see if it relieves the pain in any way. If you notice that putting pressure on those muscles relieves pain, then your headache is likely caused by that muscle.

Seeing a chiropractor will realign your cervical joints and allow those muscles to relax and heal.

2. Chronic Back Pain

Did you know that about 50 million Americans experience chronic pain?

The biggest offender is back pain. Back pain is caused by so many different things, such as sanding too much, sitting too much, running too much or walking to little. Sometimes it feels like you just can’t win with back pain.

If you’re experiencing chronic back pain, chiropractics will likely be helpful to you.

3. Uneven Shoe Wear and Tear

Have you ever noticed that one shoe wears down faster than the other? This is due to uneven weight distribution while you are walking or standing. Not only does uneven weight distribution cause frustrating problems for shoe care, but it can cause serious health problems as well.

Your body is made to be as symmetrical as possible. It works together as one big, moving system, and when that system becomes misaligned, all sorts of problems arise.

Uneven weight distribution can cause a strain throughout your body, from your neck to your abdomen to your ankles.

4. You Sit for Prolonged Time

Working at a desk or simply being a couch potato is enough to misalign your spine.

Often times, when we sit, we slouch. Most of us don’t even notice that we are slouching until back pain and muscle tightness starts getting bad. At this point, correcting the slouching problem can be difficult because your muscles are sore and tight.

Sitting for long periods of time, even if you have good posture, can still be bad for the alignment of your spine.

Certain types of chairs and sitting positions can cause your hips to be out of alignment. This can cause a number of problems, including lower back pain, leg pain, pelvic floor dysfunction, and sciatica pain.

5. Chronic Joint or Muscle Pain

Any kind of chronic joint or muscle pain is a sign that you should see a chiropractor. Of course, the common ones are the neck, back, and hips, but you can also experience pain and stiffness in other areas of the body. This could be your wrists, ankles, elbows, knees, shoulders, or other areas.

If your muscle or joint pain lasts longer than a week or comes and goes, it’s probably time to see a chiropractor. They will perform an exam to be sure that there are no underlying causes of pain.

6. You’re Highly Active

You can’t be inactive for too long, and you can’t be active for too long. So what can you do?

The problem is not if you’re moving around and active; the problem comes when you’re overly active and begin to put a strain on your muscles and joints.

If you’re constantly jumping around or falling down, you’re bound to dislocate something.

Sure, dislocating your shoulder or ankle is extremely painful and you’ll know right away, but it’s possible to injure or dislocate other joints in the body and not even know about it.

If you’re a person who is regularly active, it’s a good idea to see a chiropractor every now and then, just to make sure everything is in tiptop shape.

7. Poor Ergonomic Habits

Are you someone who uses a computer or mouse regularly?

If you don’t have an ergonomic set up your desk, you may be causing strain on your muscles and joints.

People who use laptops are especially susceptible to neck and upper back pain. This is because most laptops are below eye level, so you find yourself slouching and looking down for long periods of time. This can cause the vertebrae in your cervical spine to become misaligned.

After your visit with the chiropractor, be sure to upgrade your computer ergonomics. Get a laptop stand or use a desktop computer to prevent cervical spine injuries, upgrade your mouse to one where your wrist is in a more ergonomic position, and align your keypad so that your elbows and shoulders are not feeling strained.

See a Chiropractor Today

Do you have any of these symptoms? If so, you should not wait to make an appointment with a local chiropractor today.

Your chiropractor will perform an initial exam that includes x-rays and performance tests. Rest assured that going to see a chiropractor will not go on vain as the decompression of your spine can be nothing but helpful.

Looking for a consult in the San Diego area? Contact us today for your first consult.