“It will just go away”, “I’ll just take some pain pills”, “It’s nothing, I’ll get over it”, “I’ve had this before, it will go away like it did before”, are just some of the phrases that I’ve heard from patients coming through my door. It is very natural to think that your pain will go away, and perhaps it might, but letting pain linger is like pretending the warning light on your car dash will go away. Perhaps it might go away, but I’ve seen to many people where the pain gets worse and further damage occurs.

To prevent further damage, or the chance of your pain increasing, I would highly advise you to see a professional. I have compiled 10 signs or symptoms that you should see your denver chiropractor for.

1. Pain from Trauma. Many accidents whether they are from auto injuries, sports injuries, or falls can have underlying problems that only a doctor can detect. Auto accidents can be peculiarly benign, but can have serious injuries on the body that can last forever. Treatment for an auto accident should begin as soon as possible to limit the inflammation that occurs and to help restore movement as soon as possible. Trauma can lead to broken bones, torn ligaments, ruptured tendons, herniated discs, nerve damage, and so fourth. Many of these problems can seem as if they will go away on their own, but left untreated they can become chronic and possibly irreversible.

2. Pain that goes into the arms or legs. This should prompt a visit to the chiropractor as soon as possible. Pain that radiates to the extremities is a sign of inflammation, a possible extrusion of the discs that will need a specific disc herniation treatment, osteophyte compression of the nerve root, or other serious processes that often times will not go away on their own. Appropriate diagnosis is critical for resolution of these types of pains.

3. Pain with reduced range of motion. Pain that appears out of no where, or is unexplainable should also prompt you to see the chiropractic physician. There are underlying disease processes that can cause this, as well as simple treatment options to fix this. Many people go for years in pain, when a chiropractor can fix the issue in usually less than 10 visits.

4. Pain that wakes you at night. Pain experienced at night while sleeping can be a serious problem. If you are waking at night with pain, there could be serious underlying pathology that should be investigated by a doctor. As they say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I’ve seen problems that could have been quickly eliminated, but due to the person watching and waiting, their problem had become much worse and devastating.

5. Painful Headaches. There are many types of headaches, and some are more indicative of a serious underlying problem. Headaches can easily be treated by our profession, but we have also been trained to know when a headache is coming from something more serious.

6. Pain with normal everyday activities. I’ve seen people that have been in pain for years, and take NSAID everyday to help control the pain. They land in my office when the pain gets so bad, that they can’t even function. It is very sad that someone has lived in pain for so long, and they could have found relief if someone had just told them to see a chiropractor. Pain is not normal, and should not be addressed with daily NSAIDs. Lots and lots of people die from chronic NSAID use every year.

7. Numbness, tingling, and weakness. These are signs of something very serious occurring. It is the bodies’ way of telling you that you need help. These are usually problems with the nerves, and a doctor is the only person that is going to be able to you why you are having these types of problems. Googling your symptoms is great, but playing your own doctor can be dangerous and can cause irreversible damage.

8. Repeat use of pain pills. If you find yourself having to take pain pills on a regular basis, then this should be a wake up call. Go see someone! This is not normal, NSAID’s can be great in certain situations, but taken on a regular basis can create their own problems. Pain is the warning sign, take it seriously, and don’t think that it is normal.

9. Rear end auto accidents at low speeds. Just because there is very little property damage, doesn’t mean that there is very little damage to your body. Whiplash accidents are unique, and the damage can show up days, weeks, and months later. Go see a doctor that has specific training and treatment for auto accidents. With these types of injuries, the faster you get treatment, the better off you’ll be.

10. You have seen other health professionals with no relief. Sometimes the person that walks through my door has been to every other doctor imaginable. MRI’s, CAT scans, x rays, blood tests, physical therapy have all been tried and we are sometimes the person last resort. These types of cases are great, because often time the chiropractor can help, and probably should have been the first person to have been seen. Be open to chiropractic manipulative therapy.

There is plenty of evidence indicating the therapeutic benefit, and safety. People get misinformed of what chiropractic really is or how it is performed. You don’t have much to lose to, so keep an open mind. We have the same amount of education as a medical doctor, and we accept insurance, and have very affordable cash rates. Research your local chiropractor, so you know what to expect.

In Health,

Dr. Trent Artichoker MS, DC

Denver Chiropractic, LLC
3890 Federal Blvd Unit 1
Denver, CO 80211

303-455-2225