I had a patient come in recently with what he called, “a stiff neck with some pain” that he woke up with after sleeping in a funny position the night before. As a chiropractor, new patients come in with stories like this every single day.

Sometimes these patients are looking for a quick fix to get out of pain and other times they are looking for why sleeping funny would cause an injury like this and they want to dive into it and get it fully corrected so it does not happen again allowing them to be as healthy as possible.

With this particular gentleman I took some X-rays to see what was causing his pain and low and behold…I discovered cancer that had metastisized to the bones in his neck. I immediately told him of my findings and suggested he immediately make and appointment with his primary doctor to get scheduled for further testing and work-up. If I were to have adjusted this man without X-rays, or without knowing what was going on in his spine I could have caused him serious damage.

It is so important to never guess with a person’s health. A full exam and X-rays should always be performed, especially since chiropractors work so intricately with the spine. Sometimes pain can be so much more than just pain, like it was in this instance. Even when things appear to be the “normal” variation of pain, it is important to know that pain is never normal. It is the body warning you that something is going on and needs immediate attention. Do not ignore what your body is trying to draw your attention to.

Conclusion

If you are suffering from pain and seek the help of a chiropractor, ensure that you are receiving the full work-up needed to investigate all causes of your pain. Here at Bourdage Chiropractic we do not guess with your health.

Dr. Steven Bourdage DC