Who Needs Chiropractic Care?

Almost everyone has an opinion on chiropractic. It’s one of those topics like co-sleeping, Sarah Palin, or Harry Potter. People are not indifferent toward these things; they tend to have strong feelings on the matter. If you ask someone about going to the chiropractor, you will usually get one of two responses: “I LOVE my chiropractor, ohmygosh you HAVE to call her, she’s amazing, you wouldn’t believe how much she helped me, I’m sure she can fix whatever’s wrong with you, seriously, I think I have one of her cards, oh you just HAVE to call her!” or “You’re honestly thinking about dealing with one of those quacks? Why on earth would you do that? You know they’re not even really doctors, right? If you really have a problem, go see your REAL doctor. And if your problem doesn’t warrant you seeing him, then it’s probably not a real problem anyways.”I only exaggerated a little there. Maybe you’re the former and have already experienced the wonderful benefits of chiropractic care. If so, I’m not really talking to you right now. If you’re the latter, I’d like to address this information to you. Although it is possible to argue that everyone could benefit from some form of manual therapy because none of us go through life without trauma to our musculoskeletal system, I prefer to minimize the grandiosity of that statement to two groups of people: extremely active people, and extremely sedentary people.If you require a lot out of your body (you work out consistently), then you need to keep it running as smoothly as possible. Repetitive use of body parts that are not functioning in a biomechanically sound manner will lead to “overuse” injuries. (I put that in quotes because I disagree with the diagnosis of “overuse”. If joints are functioning properly, you won’t overuse them.) Our joints are meant to move and are meant to take loads - even repetitive ones. When our joints aren’t moving perfectly, though, we start to wear down on tissues that are being used for things they weren’t designed for. For example, if you kick the curb on a run, you automatically alter your gait to avoid putting pressure on whatever toe it is that you hurt. This minimally altered pattern causes you to start displacing loads from your typical weight-bearing structures to other areas, which can lead to breakdown in those tissues and eventually pain. Icing your toe and popping a pain pill won’t change your altered biomechanics. Adjusting combined with therapeutic exercise can, though. This is just one simple example of how altered biomechanics can eventually lead to pain; there are a multitude of other ways to hurt yourself even without initial trauma like kicking a curb.On the other hand, if you do absolutely nothing all day, then I would argue that you need someone in your corner just as much as (if not more than) the fitness guru. As I said, our bodies are meant to move. Movement activates mechanoreceptors, which are receptors that can help block painful stimuli. When mechanoreceptors are not activated (by not moving), painful stimuli is increased. So if you are not one to willingly move your body, then you should seek the help of someone who is willing to do so for you (such as a chiropractor). Movement keeps joints healthy, and helps the body stay pain-free.If you’re still not convinced that chiropractic care can benefit you, then continue rolling your eyes at your friend who insists you see one. But if you are looking for an improvement in your current state of health and well-being with regards to your musculoskeletal system, and are in the greater Raleigh area, I’d love to meet you.