How Do I Know If I Should Be Seeing A Chiropractor?

One question that I hear all the time from my patients is "how does my wife or husband know if they should be seeing a chiropractor?" There are multiple ways to know if you should be seeing a chiropractor and not all of them have to do with pain and discomfort. I have developed a test for the neck to determine if you are a candidate for chiropractic care called the "head turn test".
Try turning your head as far as you can to the left and to the right. The first thing that you want to look for is if either of these motions are painful at all. The second thing that you will want to look for in this test is if on one side or the other (either right or left) you can turn further than the other side. Normal range of motion (or being able to turn your head to the right and the left) is being able to turn your nose parallel with your shoulder. Is there pain on these movements or are any of them reduced?
If there is any pain or if one side or the other is unable to turn as far as the other side this can be a possible sign that there is something wrong in the bones of the neck. From the time that we are born our necks go through a lot of abuse. From the actual birthing process, falling while learning how to walk, to the many injuries that we get through life, the neck is vulnerable to being injured.
A doctor of chiropractic is trained specifically in diagnosing the causation of why you might be experiencing pain or reduced range of motion. Most often, in my patients, this type of neck is caused by bones and joints of the neck getting stuck in a position that is out of its neutral position. This type of condition is most prevalent in cases of whiplash, and poor ergonomics.
Dysfunction like this can lead to problems such as headaches, shoulder pain, pain in the neck, or even arm and hand pain. If you are one that has no pain, but their necks motion is restricted it may be a sign that trouble is on its way, and getting a quick check up by your Bellevue chiropractor would be a good idea.