How to Know When It's Time to See a Chiropractor? by Dr. Brent Wells, D.C.

How to Know When It’s Time to See a Chiropractor? by Dr. Brent Wells, D.C.

How to Know When It’s Time to See a Chiropractor?

by Dr. Brent Wells, D.C. is a good place to start if you are having pain or issues with your back or other joints. I have gone to chiropractors for many years and they have “fixed” a number of nagging issues for me. They will want to see you on a regular basis, but if you can’t afford that they can at least offer relief in the short run.

Introduction

It can be difficult to know when is the right time to see a chiropractor. While it might be easy to ignore or muster through pain and limited movements, this can drastically affect your lifestyle. If you’re not able to move or do the things you love it can prove to be very troublesome, both mentally and physically. Below are a few signs that you can use to tell when it might be time to make an appointment.

The Benefits of Using Chiropractic Care

Using chiropractic care comes with a handful of health benefits. One of the most important is that it helps to decrease tension and improve flexibility. Regular treatments can also naturally treat degenerative joint and tissue problems, such as arthritis.
Chiropractors also use massage therapy to help with relieving pain and inflammation. If you’re a little nervous about having adjustments done, you could instead opt for a healing massage. In addition to this, physical rehab is usually offered. This can help with improving your range of motion while using hands-on techniques to train your body.

How Often Should You Get a Chiropractic Adjustment?

How Often Should You Get a Chiropractic Adjustment? will vary depending on your needs. Some chiropractors might recommend one or two treatments each week while others will only need to see you once a month.

Man Holding Head

Six Signs That You Need to See a Chiropractor

1. You Have a Limited Range of Motion
One of the most tell-tale signs that you need to see a chiropractor is that you have a limited range of motion. This indicates that your body has a joint problem that is limiting your mobility. Why this happens depends on various issues, but it’s mainly caused by arthritis or spine injuries. A chiropractor will help to realign your joints and muscles by doing different types of manipulations. They will feel around areas on your back, neck, and shoulders, to find places of tension. They might even ask you to do specific stretches so they can better see how your body moves. Once they identify problematic areas, they will expertly move your body in a way to help provide relief. This will also improve circulation in the area which can prevent future flexibility issues.
2. You’re Suffering From Chronic Pain
If you suffer from chronic pain, such as in your face, back, or neck, it might be time to stop by a chiropractic office. Chronic pain can be treated by a chiropractor with the use of spinal manipulations. Because your spine interacts with most areas of your body, these manipulations will help to treat inflammation and tension almost anywhere.
3. You Have Intense or Frequent Headaches
Headaches are caused by a variety of different things. This includes stress, tension, spending too much time on the computer, environmental stimuli, or an underlying medical condition, like extreme intracranial pressure or tumors. A chiropractor will adjust your neck in certain directions to help release tension. Known as cervical manipulation, this adjustment uses force to apply pressure to your neck’s joints. This helps to realign them while also reducing any pressure in surrounding muscles. Besides adjustments, your chiropractor will also recommend natural ways to prevent headaches, such as avoiding teeth clenching and drinking plenty of water. After a few treatments, you should find that your headaches will decrease in their pain and number.
4. There’s Shooting Pain Down Your Legs
Shooting pain down your legs shows that your body is having nerve problems, such as sciatica, or has a herniated disc.
To help relieve this pain, a chiropractor will do spinal manipulations. These will stop muscle spasms while also releasing endorphins to help naturally relieve pain. A handful might also use a special device, such as an activator, that stimulates your nerves. Rather than using their hands, a chiropractor will move this device up and down your spine to apply short impulses to surrounding joints, muscles, and nerves.
5. You Have Severe Sinus Congestion
Some might be surprised to learn that chiropractors can help with healing sinus congestion. In fact, chiropractors often successfully treat this issue without you needing to take medications for it. By using manipulations on your upper spine, they’ll be able to release pressure around your main sinus passageway resulting in fluid drainage. They might also apply pressure to certain portions of your face near the nasal cavities to stimulate the nerves.
6. You Tend to Sit Often
If you have a job that requires you to sit for hours each day, you might want to stop by a chiropractic office. A sedentary life can put a lot of pressure on your spine, especially if you use a poor sitting position. Chiropractic care can improve your spine’s health and encourage you to use correct posture. (Doug: You should also look into getting a desk that lets you stand or sit.)
Knowing the right time to see a chiropractor can be tough. By keeping these tips in mind, you’ll know when your body requires this extra help. Check out the references below for more information.

Dr. Brent Wells, D.C.

Dr. Brent Wells, D.C. is the creator of Better Health Chiropractic & Physical Rehab which has multiple locations throughout Alaska. He belongs to the American Academy of Spine Physicians (AASP) and the American Chiropractic Association. He founded Better Health Chiropractic & Physical Rehab and has been a chiropractor for over 20 years. His practice has treated thousands of patients from different health problems using services designed to help give long-lasting relief.
Dr. Wells is also the author of over 700 online health articles that have been featured on sites such as Dr. Axe, Organic Facts, and Thrive Global. He continues his education to remain active and updated in all studies related to neurology, physical rehab, biomechanics, spine conditions, brain injury trauma, and more.