During this new season of COVID-19, social distancing, and working from home, many people are feeling a lot more stress, which can lead to negative affect on our bodies. The obvious are weigh gain, lack of sleep, and lethargy, but our bones and muscles can also suffer. Many people are used to going to the chiropractor to help them deal with stress and other issues, but is this even an option?
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the answer is yes. They sent out an advisory memorandum identifying who they considered an essential worker during quarantine.
Chiropractors are considered essential workers because back pain is so severe in adults that it’s actually one of the leading causes of missed days at work. In fact, back pain is the sixth mostly costly condition in the United States. While back pain may be the most common reason a person would go to the chiropractor, there are other health issues that require attention.
Chiropractors Are Open – But Should You Go?
Even though the Department of Homeland Security has stated chiropractors as essential workers, should you even try to go?
Here are several questions you can ask yourself to help determine if you should think about going or not:
- Are you someone who has been going to the chiropractor every month for the last year to help relieve pain from an injury that occurred?
- Have you tried going through the list of safe stretching techniques to help alleviate your pain?
- Are your stiffness and aches manageable until further notice?
You’ll also want to take into account the level of pain you are experiencing and determine if it’s something that needs to be fixed immediately or if it’s okay to wait until COVID-19 gets is better managed.
Reasons to See a Chiropractor
Even before COVID-19, back pain was a huge problem in adults but with employees now having to work from home has it and other issues gotten worse?
Employees who have back pain or other known health issues tend to have retrofitted their offices to best protect their bodies. Whether that be with high-quality support chairs, standing desks, elevated computer screens, proper foot raises, etc.
Yet, many never thought to get all the necessary equipment and accessories to protect their bodies when working at home. This can leave many to find any working surface available to complete their work, no matter if it’s an extremely hard kitchen chair or a too soft couch. All of which can further aggravate any existing back, neck, shoulder, and spinal pain along with other health issues.
It’s also important to take into account any extra stress your body has accumulated that is manifesting itself as muscle pain during this season of uncertainty.
Click here to read other benefits of seeing a chiropractor.
Reasons Not to See a Chiropractor
Just like every situation, there are also reasons you shouldn’t go see a chiropractor.
- The biggest reason is that you or someone you live with is sick. If that’s the case, stay home. If you are experiencing any symptoms related to COVID-19, make sure to get tested.
- You or someone you live with has a compromised immune system. If this is the case, then it’s safer for everyone if you stay at home and minimize exposure to public places.
- You feel your pain isn’t that bad and your pain doesn’t outweigh the risk of contracting COVID-19.
- You just don't feel safe visiting an office where others have been coming and going (which is totally okay!).
Ultimately, It’s Up to You
Chiropractic offices, like many other health facilities, have taken precautions to help minimize the spread of COVID-19. They now require masks to be worn at all times, clean and sanitize after every patient, and have made their waiting rooms smaller to abide by social distancing guidelines or have gotten rid of them entirely.
Ultimately, the decision of whether going to the chiropractor is safe or not is up to you.
Even with precautions taken by both you and the chiropractor’s office, you can still be at risk. Therefore, make the decision that is best for you and your body over time. If you do decide to go, protect yourself and others by wearing a mask, practicing safe social distancing whenever possible, and consider wearing gloves.
For over seventy years and with the highest standards of excellence and integrity, Orchard Hospital has been serving the Biggs, Gridley and Richvale areas of Butte County, and Live Oak in Sutter County, to provide closer-to-home health care for the region. The hospital currently has 24 General Acute Care beds. It operates two Medical Specialty Centers; one in Gridley and one in Oroville, as well as the 82-bed Hovlid Community Care Center (Skilled Nursing Facility). Orchard Hospital’s Mission is Growing Healthy Communities in an environment of compassion, humanity and care for the communities that are served.
