How Did This Happen To Me?

As a chiropractor in Greenville, NC, this is easily the most common question that I am asked by patients. Many chiropractic patients go to a chiropractor as a last resort instead of their first option to relieve back pain. They have been to numerous medical doctors for countless drugs, surgical consults, and physical therapy. Reducing their low back pain, neck pain, headaches or other symptoms temporarily at best and none have fixed the problem.

They are often baffled as to why no one knows why they are experiencing back pain, neck pain, headaches etc. When a structurally focused chiropractor shows them what the current shape of their spine looks like and compares it to normal they are often shocked. “How did it get this bad?” “How did this happen?” “What causes this?” are all questions that I hear as a chiropractor almost every day.

It’s Important To Understand That You’re Not Alone.

Recognizing and treating symptoms is the training medical doctors receive. It’s very rare for a medical doctor and sometimes even a chiropractor who is pain based, to understand the importance of identifying abnormal shapes in the spine. For a structurally focused chiropractor, we know what happens when your spine is not in its ideal shape and we alone know how to correct it. If you are experiencing any symptoms like headaches, neck pain, low back pain, sciatica, migraines. Maybe you have been diagnosed with degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, disc herniation, disc bulge, disc prolapse, scoliosis, spinal arthritis, degeneration joint disease etc. then you NEED to be examined by a structurally focused chiropractor who takes full spine x-rays.

These conditions are often caused by a myriad of common injuries that most do not realize can have a significant impact on their spine and health.

Here are some of the most commons ways to damage or injure your spine.

1. You think you’re indestructible and that the laws of physics don’t apply to your spine. A.K.A “Stupid things that guys do”.

   1. Hard hat challenge.

      1. Pulling the chair out from under someone.
      2. Brake check on sleeping or unsuspecting passenger.
      3. Sucker punch.
      4. Scaring the crap out of someone.
      5. Clear plastic food wrap across a doorway.
      6. And many other endless “pranks” that cause physical harm to the unsuspecting victim.

   2. While many of these things can be hilarious for the prankster and spectators

      1. The victim does have the potential to be significantly injured. A lot of times these injuries don’t seem that bad after the initial symptoms subside in a few days or weeks but the damage done can continue to progress and cause problems years later. Similar to how whiplash induced injuries from a car accident can appear to be less severe than they really are (CLICK HERE FOR MORE).

2. Sports

   1. For Professionals Only?

      1. Most people think that getting injured playing football or basketball etc. only happens to professional or college athletes but that’s just not true. You could argue that amateur athletes are just as likely if not more in some cases to get injured because they often lack the experience or proper technique that professional athletes have.

   2. Sports injuries

      1. Like the above-mentioned whiplash induced injuries are not always obvious. The recent exposure of the prevalence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in Professional football players is a great example of how repetitive or chronic injuries are not always obvious but can have significant cumulative effects later in life. Remember that these athletes have very expensive and “top of the line” medical care that was unable to identify a major risk for football players. It’s only logical to consent to the idea that both professional and amateur athletes undergo a lot of undiagnosed spinal damage from playing sports. This is especially true of sports with regular collisions like football, boxing, MMA, skateboarding, BMX, rugby, etc.

3. Car Accidents

   1. Car accident injuries are the single most common cause of injuries treated by chiropractors. Whiplash is typically what causes spinal injuries during a car accident that require chiropractic care. Albeit injuries from whiplash are often undertreated due to health and car insurance low standards. Making it difficult to get paid for necessary chiropractic care. For more CLICK HERE.

4. Repetitive Motions

   1. The human body is not designed to do singular repetitive motions for eight hours a day, 40 hours a week. We thrive off of variety. For those of you who work in a factory setting where you’re doing the same job over and over and over again, you can develop imbalances in the spine that reshape your spine into an abnormal position. This abnormal position may require very specific structurally focused chiropractic care to get you back towards normal. If you have a job like this make sure to tell your chiropractor so he/she knows. It’s essential to know what you’re doing that could have contributed to the symptoms that caused you to seek out a chiropractor. This way your chiropractor has a better chance of helping get your spine back in alignment.
   2. This category also applies to sports as well. A lot of athletic activities require us to practice specific motions repetitively to be good at them. This can cause problems depending on the activity. The most obvious example is throwing a baseball. Pitchers can wear out their shoulders and develop a lot of imbalances in their spine as well when they overdevelop one side of their body. Most unilateral (one-sided) activities are prone to causing problems that can lead to needing chiropractic care. Examples include; baseball (throwing and hitting), tennis, table tennis (ping pong), quarterback (football), soccer if you favor using one leg, and especially golf.
   3. Golf almost gets its own category because it causes a lot of problems for its participants. A large part of the reason for golf injuries is because of the unilateral motion of swinging a golf club. Golf is also a sport you can play without having to do a lot of exercises. As a result, many golfers are not the embodiment of a well-rounded athlete. Combine these issues with the fact that golfers often focus a lot on their first drive by swinging extremely hard and you get a perfect storm of potential injuries that can send you hobbling into your chiropractor.

5. Bad Posture

   1. The chicken or the egg scenario is quite confusing.

      1. Did my bad posture cause my back pain or did my back pain cause my bad posture? The reality is that both are often true but not necessarily for everybody. There are two typical scenarios.

   2. Scenario one:

      1. You experience an injury like discussed above, resulting in pain, spinal instability or both that make it impossible to maintain a normal spinal shape and alignment. This change can be immediate but more commonly is often imperceptible to the layperson, medical doctor and even chiropractor without necessary full spinal x-rays. The injury may or may not result in continued pain. The damage to the spine results in a spinal pathology, like disc degeneration or spinal arthritis, etc. progresses over time to the point of a change in posture that is obvious to the naked eye.

   3. Scenario two:

      1. Poor posture habits like reading or phone used with your head down, driving, sitting or standing for
         extended periods of time result in changes in your spine. Remember when your mother told you if you made a funny face that your face would freeze like that. That was a lie. She should have told you if you sit like that for hours you’ll ruin your spine.

   4. Proper ergonomics

      1. While for any activity like reading, computer work, studying, watching TV, standing, etc. are essential to protect and maintain a healthy spine. These activities are often major factors in what is causing your back pain, neck pain, headaches, migraines, etc.

   5. Try and change your posture.

      1. If you find that after reading this you realize there are some things that you are doing that are likely contributing to any back pain or other symptoms you may be experiencing. Make sure to observe your posture and make small daily changes towards proper posture. The problem is that by the time you realize there is a problem you’ll find it difficult to consciously sit up straight or have normal posture. Often by the time that symptoms appear you may need a chiropractor to help straighten you out.