What are the top 5 signs that you need to see a Chiropractor?
Many of our clients come to see us not knowing what we do or why they should come to see us. The first two visits are about finding out what they want to see, if we are a good fit for them and whether we can help them to achieve their goals.
In the USA and Australia, Chiropractors are commonplace in the healthcare sector and pay a part in keeping the population active, healthy and mobile long term. The term Chiropractor in the UK often strikes fear in to our minds.
Social media hasn’t done us any favors there, with some Chiropractors trying to show what we do, but perhaps not being delivered in the best way and can often look terrifying. I can assure you that it is not all like what you see.
Chiropractors can be very helpful to allow you to live a life free from pain and extend your mobility and longevity into the future to allow you to do the things you love.
Book a consultation with a Chiropractor here
Lets get in to it then, what are the signs that you should see a Chiropractor?
1) Joint or muscle pain– if you are suffering with pain in your joints or muscles for over 4 weeks and it hasn’t gone away on its own, then unfortunately it won’t. You will need some help from a professional to diagnose and understand why this s happening and to get the joints and muscles working properly again.
If joint issues are left unattended for longer than 4 weeks this can cause issues like arthritis and pain.
An example of this would be clicking and pain in your knees when you are coming down the stairs first thing in the morning. If this has been going on for over 4 weeks it could indicate a problem with the pelvis putting more pressure on the knee or a foot problem causing the knee to not function correctly. Over time this can cause the cartilage to wear away in the knee as your weight is not being transferred correctly. This doesn’t happen overnight, but if you want to stay active long term it is best to put these issues to bed before they become more of a problem and harder to fix.
2) You sit for long periods for your job-if you need to sit for over 6 hours per day as part of your job then you are putting your spine in a position that it is not designed to be in. This can cause issues like upper back pain, headaches and low back ache. Even if you are sitting in the perfect position, it will still cause problems with your back over a long period of time. We are not designed to be sitting down for long periods, our bodies are designed to be mobile and upright.
You must work though so there can be a happy balance, but best to check with a Chiropractor about how to do this and get advice on what you can be doing to prevent postural issues building up
3) Your shoes wear out unevenly-when you look at an older pair of shoes, if the soles are wearing out unevenly then this could mean there is an issue with the alignment of your spine or pelvis causing more weight to be placed on one side causing that shoe to wear out quicker. This can cause joint issues on the weight bearing side and compensation through the rest of the body.
Especially if you enjoy exercise like walking or running, that repetitive nature of these activities can cause the hip and knee joint to wear away faster.
4) Lack of flexibility– if you are struggling with flexibility like putting your socks on or reaching to get your arm through a jacket. This can often indicate a problem in the joints or spine.
We have different ranges of flexibility and females tend to have more, but if your baseline suddenly decreases and you notice that certain tasks like the above or reaching to get the glass out of the top cupboard start to become tricky and you really have to stretch.
It could be beneficial to see a Chiropractor to see where there are restrictions and blockages In your body so we can free these up and maintain your mobility and flexibility long term
5) Pins and needles and shooting pain in your legs-this can be a sign of a slipped disc in the base of your spine.
Chiropractors are good at diagnosing a slipped disc and have treatment methods to help a disc heal. We use spinal adjustments, soft tissue release and decompression therapy to help our clients with a slipped disc.
It can be extremely painful, so don’t ignore the early warning signs.
Book a consultation with a Chiropractor here
If you do know someone who wants more advice, please send them our details. You can send them this assessment as well to diagnose their back pain. It is a great tool to understand where your back pain is coming from, it is free and takes 60 seconds. Click here for assessment
