Do you think pain (i.e numbness, tingling, stiffness, etc..) is a good thing? There is a common misconception that all pain is a bad (just to clarify I am not referring to “no pain, no gain”).
What is Pain?
According to John Hopkin’s Medical School, “Pain is an uncomfortable feeling that tells you something may be wrong. It can be steady, throbbing, stabbing, aching, pinching, or described in many other ways. Sometimes, it’s just a nuisance, like a mild headache. Other times it can be debilitating.” With that said, these symptoms are your body’s way of communicating with you to tell you something is going on. Essentially, these symptoms are actually a good thing because they are telling you that something is wrong.
Pain can be classified in two categories: acute and chronic. Acute pain are symptoms that arise recently or within the past few days. Typically acute pain is a signal that you are injured or did something to yourself that wasn’t right. Examples of this include: a sprained ankle, a paper cut or a burn. This type of pain is an indication that you need to stop, slow down or change what you are doing. Chronic pain are symptoms that have been present for some time and have been going, This type of type of pain can range from mild to severe. This type of pain has been present for some time but have been left unchecked for sometime. Examples of chronic pain include: numbness/tingling, chronic lower back discomfort, headaches and more. Just like acute pain, chronic pain is also an indication that you need to stop, slow down, change what you are doing but also that you need to correct the source of the pain. Chronic pain is an indication that their is a failure in your body to adapt to your everyday stresses in life.
Addressing the source means finding out what is the cause of your symptoms — not just treating the symptoms. Pharmaceutical companies are making millions if not billions of dollars on drugs that mask/hide the symptoms yet fail to address the actual cause of the pain.
This is where chiropractors come in. Chiropractors are not pain doctors! Chiropractors do not treat your symptoms. Chiropractors address the cause of one’s symptoms, which are likely due to vertebral subluxations that result in the breakdown in one’s body to adapt and heal properly. The goal of chiropractic care is to allow the body to function closer to 100%. As a result of that, the reduction in one’s symptoms are a byproduct of getting to body to function better.
Is your body functioning close to 100%? Do you have chronic aches and pains that are not going away? When was the last time you visited a chiropractor?
Dr. Palmes is a family chiropractor in Scripps Ranch. He services Scripps Ranch, Mira Mesa, Poway, Sabre Springs, Rancho Penasquitos, Miramar, Rancho Bernardo and San Diego county. He works with kids, pregnant women, men, and women be the best version of themselves so they can have a greater impact on the world.