There seem to be two types of people in the world: those who just hate the sound of joints cracking, and those who can’t get enough!

Either you wince every time someone clicks their neck in an elevator, and you beg for family members to stop cracking their knuckles, or you love to sit and watch video after video online of people having their joints popped by chiropractors.

But what about yourself? How do you know if perhaps you need to be the one on the therapist’s bench? Here, we’ll look at 5 signs you need a chiropractic adjustment of your own.

Sign No. 1: You’re Experiencing Pain

Pain is the biggest reason that someone might want to visit a chiropractor. It makes sense; after all, pain is our body’s way of telling us that something’s not quite right.

There are different kinds of pain. Some pain we experience is new and can be the result of a sudden change, i.e., an accident or illness. Another kind of pain is chronic pain, which is a pain we’ve almost become used to; we’ve had it that long. Still, another kind of pain is the sort that comes with getting older, such as joint pain, or the kind of pain that comes and goes, perhaps in the form of headaches.

A chiropractor can help with all of these different kinds of pain. Let’s dig a little deeper (like a chiropractor would!) and look at how.

Sudden or Sharp Pains 

From an unexpected car accident to simply bending down to pick up a box and twisting wrongly, sudden onset of pain is a very good reason to seek a chiropractor’s help.

The spinal cord is made up of billions of nerves that carry messages between the brain and the rest of the body. The cord is protected by the spinal column, which is made up of 26 separate pieces, or vertebrae.

Sudden traumatic movement to the spine can cause these vertebrae to suffer injury, or the tissue between the bones can push out of its usual place, resulting in a protruded, herniated or ‘slipped’ disc. These cause inflammatory responses around nerve roots resulting in great pain, often felt as shooting stabs of pain at the bottom of the back, the buttocks, and down the legs.

Car accidents are a common cause of spinal injuries, but they can happen at any time, particularly as we get older or when we have sedentary lifestyles. But these spinal injuries can cause agony as misalignment of the spine may irritate the nerves.

A chiropractic adjustment can release tension in the joints and recentrate the vertebrae to its natural order, diminishing inflammation around the nerves and reducing, or even stopping altogether, the sharp, shooting pain you may be feeling. 

Chronic Pain

If untreated, injuries and accidents can go from causing sharp pains to long-term chronic pain. This kind of pain can come and go or sit there continually like a persistent dull ache that never leaves. 

Long-term sporting injuries or natural wear and tear from a rigorous job or hobby can put extra strain on the joints and cause chronic pain. Another common problem affects women who’ve had children and have been left with persistent spinal or pelvic pain after their pregnancy. 

By receiving a chiropractic adjustment, you may find that your pain can be reduced significantly. Stretches, manipulation, and realignment all work to improve blood flow to the affected area. This improves mobility, reduces swelling, and can reduce pain not only in joints and muscles but also in cartilage, tendons, and ligaments. 

As noted by Harvard Medical School, a study on 375 active military personnel suffering from chronic back pain and referred for chiropractic treatment showed that when receiving chiropractic care, they reported less pain, had a greater motor function, and needed to reach for the painkillers on fewer occasions.

Headaches

Often a headache can be triggered by a lack of sleep or dehydration, both of which are relatively easily rectified with a good snooze or a glass of water.

But headaches caused by tension in the neck and back can be agonizingly frustrating. Muscle tension can be caused by stress or by poor misalignment, and a chiropractor can help with both. Adjustments and exercises can help restore blood oxygenation in the affected areas but also to the brain, giving you relief from your headaches.

Sign No. 2: You Have to Sit for Long Periods

One of the most common reasons for non-traumatic back pain is bad posture. If you work at a computer or sit at a desk for many hours of the day, you can end up putting disproportionate amounts of pressure on certain parts of the body.

A chiropractor can perform the necessary adjustments to restore proper joint motion. But not only that: once they’ve moved the joints and released the tension, your chiropractor will continue to work with you to advise on the best exercises and the best sitting posture in order to continue to develop better habits and avoid pain altogether.

Not only that but fixing your poor posture can lead to life-changing improvements in your all-around health. Many people have noted how receiving a chiropractic adjustment and improving their posture has led to them sleeping better, improving their digestion, and even lifting their mood.

Sign No. 3: Your Shoes Look Odd

And no, we don’t mean the style!

Turn your shoes upside down and take a look at the soles. If one is wearing out at a much faster rate than the other, then your body has become misaligned and will require a chiropractic adjustment. 

This could be because of what’s known as a spinal joint decentration, where the joints are not optimally positioned. Chiropractors can diagnose and treat spinal joint decentration, realigning the spine and pelvis and improving the pronation of your feet so that you walk with equal weight on both sides of your body, causing less stress to your muscles. 

Sign No. 4: You’re Struggling with Your Mental Health

While it’s always vital to visit a doctor if you’re concerned about your mental health, it’s not unusual to find that a referral to a chiropractor can work wonders.

Depression can be greatly exacerbated by poor sleep patterns, and one of the things that can cause poor sleep is an inability to get comfortable when in bed. This could be because of undiagnosed joint and muscle dysfunction the back. 

Hand in hand with poor sleep, as we discussed earlier, go headaches. Tension in the head, neck, and shoulders can result in insomnia, exhaustion, and depression. By seeing a chiropractor and asking them for advice, you may find that a few alignment sessions have you feeling tons better. 

Chiropractors are known for their ability to provide motion to the joints, and while this certainly provides instant feelings of relief, it’s not all they’re trained to do. Chiropractors don’t just perform high-intensity, low-amplitude adjustments, but they also help with low-impact stretches and exercises, improving blood circulation and muscle movement.

Many chiropractors aim to support patients by tending to their physical needs as a way of improving their mental health. A healthy, pain-free body requires fewer medications and reduces the need for invasive surgeries.

Sign No. 5: You Have an Active Lifestyle

Chiropractors aren’t just for those of us who have a problem. They can be of great help when it comes to preventing problems, too.

In the same way that they can diagnose any issues you may be having with pain in your joints and muscles, they can also be a great point of call for advice on staying as healthy as possible.

A chiropractor spends their life studying the body’s intricate network of bones, muscles, joints, and everything in between. They’re a great source of knowledge on the right diet, exercise, and posture to keep you in tip-top condition.

Chiropractors will always agree that prevention is better than cure, so even if you’re in great shape, it helps to know exactly how to stay that way. 

So, Do You Think You Might Need a Chiropractic Adjustment?

Of course, we’ve only scratched the surface when it comes to the kind of issues you might be dealing with that could cause you to want to visit a chiropractor. 

If you think one of the above 5 points applies to you, though, consider searching for “chiropractic adjustment near me” to find some of your best local chiropractors.

It’s advised by the Mayo Clinic that you shouldn’t seek chiropractic adjustment if you have certain health conditions including osteoporosis, limb numbness, bone abnormality, spinal cancer, or are known to be at an increased risk of suffering a stroke. Your chiropractor will ask you the relevant questions, though, to make sure that nothing is overlooked in your first consultation.

In the meantime, if you have any immediate concerns about any aspect of your physical or mental wellbeing, always remember to consult a doctor!