Excuse Busters, Part I

Excuse Busters Part 1

I get so many different reactions when I tell people I’m a chiropractor.  Some say “I love my chiropractor blah blah . . . , Some look at me like I have an extra arm growing out of the side of my head.  Some ask for my business card and become patients.  But many explain their neck/back/joint problem to me in great detail then tell me the “reason” they are in this condition, and how it’s NOT a problem that requires the attention of a chiropractor.  I’ve found that most of these people really, REALLY need chiropractic intervention!!  So, here are a couple common excuses I hear and my answer to them.

EXCUSE:  I don’t need a chiropractor, I just have some tight muscles.

EXCUSE BUSTED:  This is a phrase I hear quite frequently.  The second part of the phrase is typically true.  People with spine problems typically have tight muscles.  Muscle tension is rarely a sign of a muscle problem.  It is usually a sign of spinal dysfunction, meaning the bones, muscles, ligaments, and nerves of the spine are not working together the way they should.  Chiropractors are very good at getting the spine to function as it should.

EXCUSE:    “Yeah, my back is killing me, but I’m pretty sure it’s my mattress.”

EXCUSE BUSTED: A truly horrible mattress can certainly hurt your back, but we’re talking about a really, really bad mattress that sags horribly, or that is so “firm” that it’s like sleeping on a concrete floor.  Nevertheless, if you injured your back on your mattress, you probably have some dysfunction in your spine that needs to be addressed.

EXCUSE: “My neck hurts and I have a headache everyday, but it’s just stress. I don’t have a spine problem and I don’t need a chiropractor, thank you very much”!!!!

EXCUSE BUSTED:  A dysfunctional spine usually raises the resting tone of the spinal musculature in that area.  In other words, if your spinal bones do not move properly, it  brings that area in your spine closer to the “pain threshold.”  At this point, it only takes one bad phone call or one snide remark from your teenager to put your neck into total spasm.  This, in turn, makes you more sensitive to other snide remarks, and so the vicious cycle goes.

By re-conditioning your spine, we can lower the resting tone of your spinal musculature.  A dumb remark from your boss or a smart-alec eye-roll from your teenager may cause a little twitch in your neck muscles, but not throw them into complete spasm.  Give it a try!  It really works!!