When Is It Time To Visit The Chiropractor?

I had a patient come in yesterday that had been experiencing upper back pain and low back pain for months.  As we went through her history, I jotted down notes that would help me determine her diagnosis and the most effective treatment.  As I finished up her history, she stated “I really don’t know if I need to be here.  I mean….I don’t think that I am that bad of.  I could probably could take care of this on my own.” I was stunned…. She had just describing her signs and symptoms, and I could clearly see she needed to be in my office, and I have no doubt that she could benefit from therapeutic massage and chiropractic care.  But she- like so many other patients- was asking the age-old question, “When is it time to visit the chiropractor?”

She definitely made me think….

How do patients decide when they need to make a visit to their chiropractor? Since no one teaches us a class in school called “Go visit the doctor when…”, many people aren’t sure when to seek medical attention.  Here are some tips to know when to visit your chiropractor!

You should visit your chiropractor if you are experiencing…

1. Back pain or neck pain last more than three days.
2. Reoccurring headaches that are aggravated by stress and neck or shoulder tension.
3. Pain that is radiating (or moving) away from the point of pain (IE. Sciatica pain)
4. You have reduced range of motion of the neck or back, especially when it’s caused by muscle spasms and pain.
5. Difficulty sleeping at night due to headaches, neck and back pain.

Back pain and headaches are NOT NORMAL, and you shouldn’t just live with the pain. So many of us are programmed to ignore pain.  I have a lot of patients who come to get treatment for one thing, and during the history and examination, I find that they have been living with another pain for years.  They live with it because they have reached a point where they think that it is normal!  It’s not!

Working every day to take a little stress out of your world!

-Dr. Funk

Tags: Chiropractic Visit, Decision Making, Pain