When we suffer from a painful condition, we try to find any form of relief that we can. Painkillers, analgesic creams, and other options are often our initial go-to treatment options when some part of our body is hurting.
While seeking treatment after a painful condition develops certainly makes sense, and is necessary, many of us miss the big picture regarding painful issues. Namely, we should be looking for ways to prevent pain from ever developing in the first place, rather than trying to find effective ways to treat the pain retroactively.
One great way to prevent pain from occurring is chiropractic care. In this article, we’ll discuss the topic of pain and demonstrate how your Plano chiropractor at Keystone Chiropractic can assist you in bulletproofing your body against many different painful conditions.
Pain 101
Even though every single person who has ever walked the Earth has experienced pain of one kind or another, we still don’t truly understand the phenomenon of pain. This is because, above all else, pain is a subjective experience. No two people will ever have an identical experience when encountering a similar type of pain.
Our best understanding of pain is that the phenomenon is multidimensional. By this, we mean that pain isn’t a purely physical experience. Rather, pain has physical, social, and emotional components.
For instance, if you break your ankle, and are off of your feet for three months, you will obviously have to deal with the physical pain of the fracture itself. Additionally, you will likely experience emotional pain, perhaps becoming angry at your body for failing you. Lastly, you may additionally feel social pain, from having to withdraw from your favorite group activities which require you to stand and move on your feet.
Treating Pain
As was mentioned at the outset, we have a number of methods for treating the pain after an injury has occurred. For instance, we can use splints, braces, and many different analgesic methods to reduce pain after an injury.
However, as effective as these treatments may be, they all come with a cost. Plus, they all pale in comparison to primary prevention of injuries and pain.
How to Prevent Pain
Preventing pain is not necessarily an easy task. After all, none of us can predict what the day ahead of us will hold. For instance, if we knew that we will be involved in a car crash when we drive to work today, we could easily avoid that outcome by not getting in the car.
Without the benefit of foresight, none of us could ever predict this outcome with any certainty. That being said, we can make reasonable predictions about the relative level of risk we face every day with regard to injuries. Case in point, if we have very weak muscles, and attempt to go on a very technical hike, we may suffer an injury.
In order to reduce this risk of injury, we can keep our bodies strong by going to the gym and exercising every day.
Similarly, we can reasonably assume that most of us are at risk for developing back pain in our lifetimes, as nearly 80% of people experience this condition. But by regularly seeing a chiropractor, we can greatly reduce this risk.
Preventative Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic care is a great option for treating injuries after the fact, but it’s an even better tool for preventing injuries in the first place. By keeping your spine in perfect alignment, your chiropractor can help you reduce your risk of injury, improve your athleticism, and enjoy a healthier life overall.
We are ready to serve you today at Keystone Chiropractic, your go-to Plano chiropractor. Schedule your first session with us now!
