Is it possible that pain can be your friend? That may sound a little crazy because pain obviously hurts. Upon further examination, you will realize that pain can be an indication that something is not right in your body and that you should do something about it before it becomes tomorrow’s deterioration, arthritis, ulcer, heart attack or cancer.
People have been trained to mask pain and keep on going. Over the counter sales of pain killing medications such as aspirin, acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and many others run in the billions of dollars.
Unfortunately, these temporary symptom relieving pills can make you feel better in the moment while setting the stage for more serious long-term health problems down the road, especially if they keep you from addressing the cause of your pain.
Let’s start with a simple backache, hip pain or leg pain, for example. Many people who “feel” these symptoms for the first time may take one of these drugs to help them feel better in the moment, and then do this for years, never addressing the cause. Finally when the pain gets so severe that it causes a debilitating crisis, that individual may have accumulated deterioration and damage, which can affect their entire life.
What may start as a simple issue could become a more complicated condition that could have been prevented with early chiropractic intervention. What is worse is that the accumulated intake of these medications can lead to secondary health problems that are even more severe than the underlying cause of the pain.
Long-term aspirin use, for example, has been linked to ulcers and blood-clotting problems later in life. NSAIDS have been linked to kidney failure, and long term acetaminophen use has been linked to liver failure especially when combined with alcohol. These side effects are well-documented scientifically but unfortunately not well publicized. Many people take these drugs like candy, as a part of their lifestyle, not realizing the long-term consequences of their actions.
Your body was designed to be healthy and function normally throughout your lifetime without pain and without the need for painkilling medication. Your nervous system, the master control, communication and internet hub of your body, connects your brain to your skin, muscles, bones and every organ including your heart and lungs. At nearly 3 million messages per second your nervous system monitors your inner world and adapts you to your environment. It will send signals when things are not right; many times in the form of pain. Covering up these warning signals confuses your body and can lead to more severe conditions as you age.
Chiropractic care can be very effective for eliminating pain, while also helping your body regenerate and restore the function that can keep you healthy for a lifetime. Top athletes utilize chiropractic care as part of their training and their lifestyle. More importantly, they are proactive in their approach using imbalance as their reason to be checked instead of pain.
Next time you or a loved one experiences pain, don’t just cover it up. Get to the cause with a chiropractic check up. Better yet, be proactive. Check your spine before you “feel” like you need it. Ask our staff for a simple self test to see if you and your loved ones can benefit from chiropractic care.
