During my 35 years in chiropractic practice I have noticed that people work hard! Whether it’s a physical job in construction or a factory, working in health care as a nurse, hygienist, health technician or assistant, or sitting long hours at a desk, these activities can have a detrimental effect on the body. Many people who work long hours who have musculoskeletal pain can be helped by chiropractic care. With a little forethought and caution, many painful musculoskeletal conditions can be avoided. Prevention is the key!
Just today, I am talking to a 74 year old retired plumber who was not my patient. He told me that he had already had back surgery, open heart surgery, diabetes that caused neuropathy in his feet, and that he had a severely arthritic knee. He said that he had worked from the age of 16 until he was 60 when he retired. I asked him if he had ever been to a chiropractor and he said no. He made me speculate how much better his health would have been had he been under chiropractic care from the time he began his vocation.
I have many patients who have worked for decades in extremely physical jobs and patients who have also worked for decades in sedentary jobs who have very few health problems. There are several key factors that they say have helped them maintain good health when others in their professions have deteriorating health. These factors include getting enough sleep, eating food to fuel your body, not fueling your emotions, and receiving regular chiropractic care. Many of these patients have come to me at least once a month for decades. They don’t come to me for pain or symptoms, they come to me to keep their spine in good alignment and moving properly. This helps keep your back strong and less susceptible to stress and injury.
Chiropractic care is undoubtedly excellent for relieving neck, mid-back, and back pain. However, many people choose to use chiropractic care beyond the initial phase of pain relief and move on to regular maintenance care and perform simple stretching and strengthening exercises at home to maintain good health. This is a lot like going to the dentist regularly to keep your teeth healthy or having an annual blood test to catch potential health problems early. Chiropractic care is recommended for those who work long hours to minimize the musculoskeletal pain that occurs over a lifetime of work.
