Many people who go to the chiropractor go for a very specific purpose. They know exactly what happened to them and when. For example, a person who vividly remembers a collision on home plate during the little league championships will not be surprised to know they have knee damage. Likewise, a person who was in a severe accident will know what caused recent pain in the neck or the shoulders.
It is fairly predictable to have upper body pain if you had whiplash from a collision a month ago. But what about people who do not have obvious reasons for pain? There are sources of pain in modern society that are not as intense as sports injuries or car accidents, but can still cause pain. Here is a quick list of the most common sources of body pain that might go unnoticed during the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
1. You Are Extremely Active On Your Computer But Not In Real Life
Sitting at a computer all day can be very stressful on the neck and back if you’re not using proper body mechanics. While we don’t usually consider an office job to be “high-risk”, years of sitting in a chair in such an unnatural posture can promote both short-term and long-term pain. This is particularly hard to avoid as many people rely on computers for work and increasingly for socializing.
2. Driving Prepares You For A Life Of Looking Like A Camel
Because we sit when we drive, we are in a position that is nearly identical to the position we are in when using computers. When we drive, our hands are on the steering wheel and our shoulders are slumped over, discouraging proper posture and a straight back. Collapsed shoulders help your back curve, leaving you in a hunchback position that may persist even when you are not driving. This can result in a humpback posture that worsens without proper treatment.
3. You Are A Gym Rat Or You Are A Couch Rat
This may seem unusual or contradictory but both contribute to neck and back problems. People who do sit-ups and stomach crunches incorrectly place a tremendous amount of stress on their backs. While they are trying to focus on their abs, they often do sit-ups and crunches too quickly and with too much momentum, leaving the work to the back rather the abs.
Similarly, people who do not exercise at all never build a strong core nor do they build strong backs. It is a downward spiral – if your back hurts, you won’t want work out. But if you don’t work out, you will not be able to build back muscle or ab muscles and your back will hurt.
Seeing the chiropractor is not just for people with injuries. Our everyday lives can be mildly to severely damaging to our postures. So if you find yourself wondering why you are in pain when you can’t recall anything drastic having occurred, think about those everyday things that impact your back. Something mundane may be contributing to the pain.