Getting gas in your car when the light comes on.
Changing the oil after youre alerted to by your dashboardlight.
Both of those are things that we do most of, if not all of,the time. Were alerted to a problem that needs fixed by a warning system. Weknow to address these problems and fix them otherwise a lot more long termdamage can be done to the car if we dont.
Fortunately for us all, our body comes with its own similarwarning system. At the core, thats what pain is. You see, pain is a signalthat your body is telling you that theres an underlying problem. Whether itsa chest pain telling you that you have a heart problem, an arm pain telling youthat you have a broken arm, or a back pain telling you that you have a spinalproblem, that pain is a signal. Its no different than the dashboard light inyour car flashing at you.
The thing about pain is that it should be addressed whenits at its mildest form. Dont let it go, as the underlying issue can grow andbecome a bigger problem that requires a longer and tougher fix.
One of the worst things you can do as a "fix" istake pain pills, even over the counter ones, to be pain free. At that point,all youve done is cover up the symptom, or the warning light, and ignore whythat signal or warning is there in the first place. On your car, when the getgas light comes on, you dont put a piece of tape over the light and keepdriving like the problem isnt there do you? By covering up the symptom/pain,and feeling "better", you're significantly running the risk of doingeven more and prolonged damage to yourself underneath it all.
So pay attention to what your body tells you. As soon as youfeel that something is not quite right, thats when its best to get checkedout. If your pain signal is a neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, or headache,please dont hesitate to contact me at my Monroeville/Penn Hills Chiropractoroffice.
- Dr. Brent Shealer -- Pittsburgh, Monroeville, Penn Hills Chiropractor