"No thanks, I don't need to be treated. I'm not having any pain."

The above phrase is one that I can guarantee most chiropractors have heard at least once during their career. Heck, I hear a version of that statement uttered at least once per week. The current medical model in this country involves treating people's symptoms or pain. They are given a pill, or the option to have surgery and everyone expects a quick fix. Over the last few years, wellness or preventative care has started to take root and expand, but for the most part, we are taught from an early age that if we are not feeling any pain, then we are healthy; and unfortunately that is not the case.

Both my father and my grandfather were helped a lot by chiropractic care when I was growing up. They both started care after experiencing a bout of acute pain, but they both continued to receive treatment after their symptoms had dissipated. Watching their success with chiropractic is what really influenced me to become a chiropractor. I had never been treated with chiropractic care before attending chiropractic college. I felt healthy; I didn't have any pain; so why did I need to go? I started receiving regular chiropractic adjustments while attending school and kicked myself for not getting treated sooner. I had always been bothered by migraine headaches (which seemed to go away with treatment), my neck and lower back felt looser and I would feel great, both mentally and physically following a chiropractic adjustment.

So why is it a good idea to get treated when you don't feel any pain? Everyday, the activities of daily living and the repetitive micro-traumas that we put our bodies through cause the muscles and soft tissues that make up the joints of our spine to fatigue and toxic metabolic waste to build up around the nerves. Since we don't like to experience pain, our bodies tend to compensate at first. Over time, our bodies can no longer compensate and we start to feel pain. With chiropractic adjustments, the joints stay moving freely and you can prevent those serious bouts of neck and lower back pain.

Personally, I try to get adjusted at least once a month based on how I feel. If I have done a lot of running or played hockey and I am feeling sore, I may go two times that month. A quick chiropractic adjustment can keep me feeling good for several weeks. Even if you're feeling good, it is a good idea to have your spine checked for subluxations or misalignments, that if left untreated can cause problems down the line. Go find a chiropractor and see what you've been missing!