Neck Pain and Headaches
Rest assured, I didn’t lump these into one section because I’m lazy. Headaches are very often caused by neck issues. In this case, popping some Tylenol won’t necessarily fix your problem. If you notice you get frequent headaches that don’t seem to respond (or at least not for very long) to your usual aspirin, ask yourself if there may be a different reason for them.
Many of our patients come to see us with neck pain and headaches caused by text neck, improper posture on the computer, or other postural and/or overuse issues. This is actually great news! This type of pain is both preventable and treatable. SO not only can we make you feel better, but there are (often quite simple) fixes that you can implement to prevent the pain from coming back in the long term.
A simple rule of thumb; do your best to keep your neck aligned with the rest of your spine (don’t push your head excessively forward or back) and look forward most of the time (not down or up, which will cause your neck to be strained).
If you have an Android Phone, we created the Posture Protector App®, which will alert you by dimming your cell phone screen, vibrating your phone or beeping (your choice) when you slouch.
Of course, sometimes it’s caused by disc issues from car accidents or traumas. In which case we’ll be here to help you.
Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain can be caused by working from home (with poor ergonomics), a lack of movement and stretching, and poor posture on the computer. Things like laying in bed on your computer, or slouching on the couch while working on a laptop and/or binging 15 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy can wreak havoc on your lower back.
Other times, lower back pain is also caused by disc issues from car accidents or traumas, and fitness accidents, which are not preventable.
To avoid the preventable type of back pain make sure to keep your back and shoulders straight wherever possible, take frequent movement breaks, and get adequate amounts of exercise (see our blog on exercises to prevent/alleviate back pain).
Scoliosis
Unfortunately by the time patients end up in our office with back pain due to scoliosis, this is not preventable.
“Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine. Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine that occurs most often during the growth spurt just before puberty. While scoliosis can be caused by conditions such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, the cause of most scoliosis is unknown.”
However, pain levels can be greatly reduced and managed with regular maintenance chiropractic care.
Sports Injuries
Where to start…tennis elbow, back pain, neck pain, middle back pain, knee pain, ankle pain (SO many things can come from sports injuries) are all common complaints caused by sports injuries.
Often times, these sporting injuries can be prevented by regular maintenance care in our office, as well as proper form on all drills and exercises and not overworking your body (though yes, sometimes accidents just happen).
Our Favorite: Maintenance Care
While most of our patients may come into the office with pain, most then realize how important having regular maintenance care is and stick around. These are our favorite cases to work, because it doesn’t mean our patient is in pain, and it does mean they’re doing what they can to take care of their body.
It’s kind of like going to the dentist with tooth pain. You don’t just stop going after you get it fixed, right? I really hope you answered that with a resounding “no”. Anyway, after getting it fixed, you continue brushing/flossing your teeth and seeing the dentist for regular cleanings to prevent another cavity.
Each patient has a different maintenance schedule depending on their lifestyle; some come once a week, some every two weeks, some just once a month. What’s best for you depends on your particular needs, job, and lifestyle.
There you have it; the most common reasons our patients come to see us. Some are preventable, and some are not. However, if there’s anything you take from this blog, let it be this: when it comes to your health, you should be taking a proactive approach, not a reactive one.
Proactive health means taking preventative measures like coming in for regular maintenance care, getting adequate levels of exercise, learning proper form of exercises and not overworking your body, and staying away from poor posture.
Reactive health means waiting until something is wrong, and then seeking a solution.
If you take a proactive approach to your health chances are you can avoid the preventable causes of pain, and better prepare your body for the unpreventable ones.
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