Many people want to know when to visit the doctor. Some may ask themselves, "Is it too soon or am I being silly going to the doctor for this?" But sometimes they may be overlooking a serious condition that needs the attention of a doctor. Once they decide to go to the doctor the next question is, "what type of doctor do I go to?"
Chiropractors are specialty doctors for musculoskeletal pain, mainly back pain. They specialize in joint and muscle pain and have been mostly known for treating back or neck pain.
So you may now be asking, "when do I go to the chiropractor?" Here are a few good reasons to visit a chiropractic physician.
1. Are you in pain? If you are, your body may be trying to tell you something. Pain the in neck and back area are the most commonly treated areas for chiropractors, but extremity pain is also in their scope of practice. Extremity pain such as knee, hip, shoulder or wrist pain has been successfully treated by chiropractic care for years. If it is a muscle or a joint a chiropractor can most likely help.
2. Prevent a surgery. A recent WebMD article states that chiropractic care may reduce certain surgeries by 32%. Low back pain that radiates into the leg is most likely caused from a disc impingement. While this condition may eventually need surgery a chiropractor may be able to prevent the surgery altogether.
3. Get checked for scoliosis. This should be done in most schools but can sometimes be overlooked or missed. Chiropractors are trained to check even the slightest degree of curvature of the spine. This is a very important point for kids. Most scoliosis in adults will not cause too many problems as long as it is not severe. Teenagers and younger children should be checked regularly as there are many things they can do to help the scoliosis from becoming a major problem.
4. After an auto accident. After any accident for that matter. Sometimes pain may not show up for days or even years after a serious accident. Make sure there are no major problems after an accident whether you are in pain or not. By getting checked you may safe yourself a lot of trouble in the future.
5. Prevent pain or future problems. Have you ever wondered how degeneration happens to the spine? When there is a misalignment to a joint, then there is a decrease in movement or range of motion which over time will cause the joint to degenerate. Many years ago after a total knee replacement surgery a patient's knee would be put into a cast immediately in order to heal. What started happening to a patient that had this done was there knee began to degenerate due to the lack of movement. Today after a total knee replacement, a patient's knee is put into a device that keeps the knee moving, instead of a cast, in order to prevent this from happening. The reason is now we know that calcium deposits and scare tissue will form quickly in a joint that is immobilized. When a segment of your spine is not moving, over time it will degenerate also just like the knee would in a cast. That is why it is good "spinal hygiene" to get a chiropractic adjustment periodically. Three major things can happen to a joint in the spine if it is misaligned for an extended period of time. First atrophy will happen to the nerves. Nerves will get smaller. Atrophy to the surrounding muscles tissue of the spine, muscles will get smaller and lose tonicity. The last thing that will happen is an actual structural change to the bone itself, eventually fusion of the bones and loss of joint space can occur.
If you have never been to a chiropractic doctor remember some of the things that may warrant a visit. And you will be sure to have a healthy spine for years to come!
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