KNOW YOURSELF

Many patients ask “when do I know I need an adjustment?” The answers to that question can range from the very simple to the somewhat complex depending on what you’re dealing with. As a very general rule, the more cognizant you become of your body’s ins and outs, the more apt you are to know when you need the adjustment. When you feel your body or a specific joint is not moving properly or ‘not like it usually does’, it is time to seek care for yourself. When symptoms such as headaches, upper back tension, lower back pain, knee pain, ankle pain, shoulder pain, neck pain or stiffness occur, these signs indicate your body is requiring aid.

Several decades ago, it was a sign of toughness to endure such discomfort. Almost wearing bodily pain as a badge of honor. This antiquated notion cannot continue to exist. There are far too many people with irreversible degeneration at hand because they waited too long to seek care or, my personal favorite, “it did not hurt bad enough.” Physical health should be at the top of your priority list. Nothing will reduce the quality of your life faster than losing part or all of your physical capabilities. The saddest part is that this phenomena can happen at any age range. The young and old can experience excruciating and debilitating pain alike. Doing your part to ensure your own health for as long as you possibly can will undoubtedly be a fruitful venture. Dropping the ball in that arena will prove the opposite.

TIME vs MONEY

Many patients thoroughly enjoy seeking care on a regular basis because it maintains the body’s natural need for balance. Regular physical care keeps the flare-ups at bay, reduces overall bodily inflammation, and increases the capacity for healthy movement. This is the recipe for maintaining a higher quality of health and life. On the other side, many patients think that if they just wait for things to stop hurting, everything will return to normal. This is a huge fallacy. There are too many detrimental factors at play to even consider the ‘let’s wait and see’ scenario. Take this example:

You get T-boned by someone going 50 mph speeding through a red light. You suffer multiple disc herniations and incur major whiplash because of the accident. Your muscles ache and pain, your head hurts, and you cannot move without pain.

Based on the severity of the incident, you knowingly have done some serious harm to your body. You likely will incur some postural deformity and put yourself at an increased risk for degenerative changes. Besides that, you will DEFINITELY be in pain. This pain is alerting you to the damage. The severity of the accident alone should be enough to tell you things will never be the same without help, but still some people are reluctant to seek treatment if nothing is blatantly broken because it costs money. After such an incident, your body REQUIRES closer scrutiny. There are implications and consequences with every event your body experiences.

People think that regular care is expensive. But how expensive is that hip replacement? How expensive is that fusion surgery? How expensive are those hospital bills after throwing your back out for the 3rd time? It will inevitably save you thousands if you keep up with regular care for your body. This established care will also save you HUGE amounts of time. Less time in hospitals, less time in pain, less time sitting around, and less time worrying about whether or not you’ll be able to walk again. The fact is that motion is lotion. The more you move and receive regular care for your body and joints, the better off your body is at dealing with life’s challenges and overcoming them.