The second myth we will look into is related to arthritis, a clinical diagnosis that affects about 40 million people in the United States. Not surprisingly, this number is judged to increase in the next few years. As you may know, arthritis can manifest itself in a few different forms and affects many different people, both young and old, but especially the overweight and inactive. Understand, however, that just because you have been diagnosed with arthritis, does not necessarily mean you live with back pain.
In reality, there are many Americans with arthritis in their backs that have essentially NO back pain. Why, then, do you feel so inflexible? Why do you feel like moving too quickly or turning or bending a certain way will cause your back to snap?
Guess what? Your rigidity may not even be related to arthritis at all! Arthritis is a fairly common mis-diagnosis and unfortunately, the real reason for your back pain and rigidity is a more serious and hazardous problem. Unfortunately, you may not ever know about the wrong diagnosis until it is too late. It may grow into herniated or bulging discs in the spine, which will have a significant and rather costly effect on your health.
These patients often experience pain and stiffness because of a combination of hidden imbalances of the spinal cord and the surrounding muscles. Without any care, these unseen imbalances can cause even greater and more serious health issues, such as hip replacement surgery. Assuming the real issue is found on time and looked after, bigger health problems are easy to avoid.
Think of your spine in terms of your car: if the wheel alignment on your car is just a little bit off, you may not see any noticeable signs of the misalignment. You might be able to drive hundreds or even thousands of miles on the misaligned wheels before you may observe any changes. The car will probably not make any abnormal noises or drift to one side like you might expect. Eventually, after driving on the misaligned wheels, you may notice a different pattern of baldness appear on the tires, the car might pull to one side, or a tire blow-out could cause a very dangerous accident.
Just by taking your car in for an examination will allow you to easily avoid these potentially dangerous situations. Your risk of being in a hazardous collision increases drastically when you continue to drive on the misaligned wheels or the worn out tires. Preventative maintenance on your car is key to keeping you safe on the road.
Your body works the same way with the spine. You might have a slight misalignment or imbalance in your spinal cord that seems to not affect your health right now. You may not even experience any symptoms or pain from the imbalance; however, it exists nonetheless and can have a significant impact on your health. By scheduling an appointment with your chiropractor, you can receive the preventative care for any unfelt spinal misalignments that can make you feel your best right now, while saving you time and health complications in the future.
Do you already experience back pain? Be sure to visit your chiropractor for a spinal exam before your pain turns into a more serious health problem.
Phoenix Chiropractor Dr. Steve Van Laecken has helped many patients with arthritis to live free from back pain. To learn how to eliminate that awful back pain once and for all, and you live in Phoenix, then call Phoenix Chiropractor Dr. Steve Van Laecken at 602-298-1600. For a temporary period, Dr. Steve has agreed to provide a first visit for 75% off to anyone with a copy of this article.