When Should You See the Chiropractor?

Many people wait until their pain becomes unbearable before visiting a chiropractor — but you don’t have to be hurting to benefit from chiropractic care. In fact, some of the best results happen when you come in early, before a small issue becomes a major problem. So how do you know when it’s time to stop in?

Here are the most common signs your body is telling you it needs chiropractic attention:

1. You’re dealing with recurring pain

If pain keeps coming back — especially in your neck, low back, hips, or shoulders — it’s a strong signal that something deeper needs attention. Chiropractic care restores proper joint movement, reduces muscle tension, and helps stop the cycle of flare-ups.

2. You feel stiff or “out of alignment”

If you’re waking up stiff, feeling restricted when you turn your head, or noticing that certain movements don’t feel fluid, your spine may not be moving the way it should. Gentle chiropractic adjustments help restore normal motion and comfort.

3. You sit or stand in the same position for long periods

Desk work, driving, factory work, and repetitive tasks create joint stress that builds slowly over time. Even without pain, these habits can lead to joint wear, muscle tightness, and nerve irritation. A quick chiropractic visit keeps your spine functioning at its best.

4. You’re getting headaches more often

Tension headaches and many migraine patterns are closely linked to neck stiffness and poor posture. Chiropractic adjustments reduce strain on the neck muscles and surrounding nerves — a natural way to help decrease headache frequency.

5. You recently had a fall, strain, or minor injury

Even small injuries can cause joints to lock up or muscles to tighten defensively. Early chiropractic care helps the body heal properly and reduces the chances of long-term compensation patterns.

6. You want to stay ahead of problems

Chiropractic isn’t just about pain relief — it’s about keeping your joints healthy and moving well. Regular wellness visits can help you maintain better posture, reduce stress on the spine, improve mobility, and stay feeling your best.

The Bottom Line

You should see a chiropractor any time your body isn’t moving, feeling, or functioning the way you want it to.Whether it’s pain, stiffness, headaches, or just a sense that something is “off,” chiropractic care offers a natural, effective way to restore balance and comfort.

If you’re unsure whether chiropractic can help your specific issue, stop in or give us a call — we’re always happy to help you decide what’s best for your health.

How Spinal Joints Wear Down Over Time Without Chiropractic Care

Your spine is one of the most durable structures in your body—yet it’s also one of the most vulnerable. Every day, your spinal joints absorb the forces of sitting, standing, lifting, twisting, driving, working, and even the stress you don’t notice. Over time, these repeated stresses can gradually wear down the joints of the spine, especially when proper motion isn’t being maintained. Without chiropractic care, this breakdown often accelerates and leads to chronic pain, stiffness, and long-term degenerative changes.

Why Spinal Motion Matters

Healthy spinal joints must move. Each vertebra is designed to glide, pivot, and flex with every movement you make. This motion serves two essential purposes:

It keeps the joints lubricated, just like movement keeps other joints in the body healthy.
It reduces stress on the surrounding muscles, ligaments, and nerves.

When even one spinal joint stops moving the way it should—whether from poor posture, repetitive strain, an old injury, or daily wear-and-tear—the body adapts in ways that aren’t helpful. Muscles tighten, nearby joints begin to overwork, and the mechanics of the spine become imbalanced.

The Problem With Joint Fixation

When a spinal joint becomes restricted (a condition chiropractors call a “subluxation”), it doesn’t just cause discomfort. Motion loss sets off a chain reaction that leads to real, physical changes in the joint:

Decreased lubrication inside the joint
Increased pressure on the spinal discs
Localized inflammation
Compensatory muscle tension and spasms
Abnormal loading of other joints above and below

Over months and years, this restricted motion leads to degenerative joint changes, also known as osteoarthritis or degenerative disc disease.

Degeneration Happens Faster Without Proper Care

Here’s what the research and clinical experience show:

Joints that don’t move properly begin to break down much earlier than joints that are regularly mobilized.
Immobilized joints can begin degenerating in as little as two weeks.
Abnormal joint stress increases the production of inflammatory chemicals that further damage cartilage and disc tissue.
Misaligned or restricted vertebrae place extra stress on spinal discs, increasing the risk of disc bulges and herniations.

Chiropractic adjustments help restore proper motion and alignment, reducing this stress before it becomes a long-term problem.

The Body Compensates—Until It Can’t

Your body will do everything it can to keep you moving, even if certain spinal joints aren’t working correctly. Over time, that compensation leads to:

Tightness across the shoulders
Chronic lower back strain
Hip or SI joint irritation
Headaches from upper-neck dysfunction
Numbness or tingling from irritated nerves

Without care, people often reach a point where the joints have deteriorated enough that symptoms become more frequent, more intense, and harder to ignore.

Why Chiropractic Care Protects Your Spine

Chiropractic adjustments restore normal motion, reduce joint stress, and help interrupt the degenerative cycle. Regular care can:

Improve joint biomechanics
Enhance nutrient flow to discs and cartilage
Reduce inflammation and muscle tension
Slow or prevent long-term arthritis development
Improve posture and overall spinal function

Chiropractic doesn’t just help you feel better—it helps your spine age better.

Conclusion

Spinal joints wear down over time, especially when normal movement is lost. Without chiropractic care, this degeneration can progress silently for years before pain finally appears. By keeping your spine moving properly, chiropractic adjustments help protect your joints, preserve mobility, and support long-term health.

If you’re noticing stiffness, pain, or reduced flexibility—or if it’s simply been a while since your last adjustment—now is the perfect time to get your spine evaluated. Your future mobility depends on the steps you take today.

This is some super cool information regarding high blood pressure and chiropractic…

High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects millions of people worldwide and can lead to serious health complications if left untreated. While medication is often prescribed to manage blood pressure, many people seek alternative or complementary treatments to reduce their dependence on drugs or to enhance the effectiveness of their current treatment plan. This is where chiropractic care comes in.

A study published in the Journal of Human Hypertension in 2007 found that patients with hypertension who received chiropractic adjustments experienced a significant decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared to those who received sham adjustments. The study participants received eight weeks of chiropractic care, with adjustments focused on the atlas vertebra, the top bone in the neck. The results were remarkable, with the chiropractic group experiencing an average reduction in systolic blood pressure of 7.8 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure of 5.4 mmHg.

Another study, published in the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research in 2011, found similar results. This study involved 21 patients with Stage 1 hypertension who received chiropractic care focused on the atlas vertebra. After 8 weeks of care, the patients experienced an average reduction in systolic blood pressure of 14.3 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure of 8.5 mmHg.

So, how does chiropractic care help lower blood pressure? While the exact mechanisms are not fully understood, it is believed that chiropractic adjustments may improve the function of the nervous system, allowing it to better regulate heart rate and blood pressure. Additionally, chiropractic care can help reduce stress and anxiety, which are known contributors to hypertension.

If you’re interested in exploring how chiropractic care can help lower your blood pressure, I encourage you to schedule an appointment with me to discuss your specific needs and develop a personalized care plan. Remember, it’s essential to work closely with your primary care physician when making any changes to your treatment plan.

Your intestines are the surface where your body absorbs nutrients from digested foods. If it compromised in any way you do not absorb the proper amounts of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals you need to be healthy.

There is a common medicine sold over the counter at virtually any store that when ingested, is like tossing little grenades all over the intestinal tract. It lays waste to small patches of the vili, which are like little creases in the intestines that help absorb nutrients.

The offender? Ibuprofen. Taking an occasional dose for a headache or to bring down a fever is not going to wreck your health. However, taking it even several times a week can damage the gut wall and over time lead to Leaky Gut. This is a condition where the intestinal lining is damaged to the point where large, undigested proteins and other particles that normally would not be absorbed by the body are taken into the blood. This is the underlying cause of many autoimmune conditions because the body is trying to deal with the foreign substances in the blood.

So with this in mind, use ibuprofen and other drugs only when absolutely needed. They can work great in a pinch but are NOT intended for long term use and regular use can end up causing many adverse effects down the road.

If you live in Wisconsin then you know that over the past 3 weeks we’ve seen some record breaking snow fall. And while its certainly a site to behold actually moving all that snow can be a major pain in the back, literally!

Have you ever noticed that shoveling snow has a sneaky ability to absolutely destroy your back? Ever wonder why that is? Well, the reason is quite simple. Shoveling snow combines two of the most difficult things for your back to do at the same time. Lifting and twisting.

Either one on its own is not necessarily a big deal. We can lift heavy amounts of weight without damaging the spine. We are also built to be able to twist. However when combined the two movements spell trouble, especially for the low back.

This is because the combined movements of lifting and twisting create a “shearing” pressure on the spinal discs. This motion dramatically increases the risk of both muscle injury and pinching of the nerves exiting the spine in the low back. This is why it is not uncommon for low back injuries resulting from snow shoveling to have both muscle pain and shooting or tingling pain. The risk of injury is further increased if the person has a pre-existing herniated disc, degenerated disc or history of low back trauma.

The bottom line is to be very careful when shoveling snow. Lift only lighter loads and fully lift the snow before turning to dump it. The more aware you are of what you are doing the better your chances of getting all that white mess moved without hurting yourself.

If you do manage to injure yourself, fortunately chiropractic can help you fully heal quickly. If injury does occur schedule your appointment as soon as possible. The longer a spinal injury goes without being addressed the longer it takes to fully heal once treatment begins. Be safe out there!

*To make an appointment call either my Glenwood City or 4 Corners office or message the clinic on Facebook.

Whether you have never seen a chiropractor, you go frequently or your somewhere in between now is the perfect time to start receiving regular chiropractic care. Why? Here are several of the key benefits of chiropractic care

Effectively manage pain- maybe you have a problem with headaches or some tight shoulders. Maybe your problem is a bit more intense like sciatica or numbness or tingling in the hands or feet? Whatever the pain chances are good that chiropractic can help improve it if not get rid of it completely.

Preventing long term joint problems- your spinal joints do wear out over time. Cartilage between the spinal joints thin, discs between the vertebrae wear out, bone on bone causes arthritis. It happens. It’s a slow process that often takes years for symptoms do show but it happens to everyone. Receiving regular chiropractic adjustments slows these problems down dramatically. Remember, what’s annoying today is a crisis tomorrow.

Promotes overall health- nerves don’t just go to muscles. They also travel to all the organ systems as well. Pressure on a nerve exiting the spine that goes to the liver causes decreased liver function. Ditto for the heart, stomach, intestines and… well I think you get the picture. Overall chiropractic just helps the body work better.

Ok, so what does a chiropractic visit look like? Let’s say your totally new to my office. The first visit will entail some simple paperwork telling me a bit about your overall health, anything in your health history I should be aware of and some specifics about your problem. This takes only a few minutes to fill out plus we’ll go over any insurance you may have (remember we accept Forward Health, Medicare and most commercial insurances).

After that I will do a spinal examination. Depending on your problem this could be as simple as a range of motion test and palpating (feeling)the spine or could involve reflexes, muscle testing or other examining techniques as needed. In rare instances I will refer out for imaging if I think it is needed.

Last, I will ordinarily do a few chiropractic adjustments. The spinal exam will show me where you have subluxations (bones of out of place) in your spine. These are the root problems causing your symptoms. The adjustments are generally done by hand. I will then push the bones back into place. Afterwards I usually have the person being adjusted lay on our spinal traction table to further relax the spine following the adjustment.

This simple but profoundly beneficial treatment takes only a few minutes per visit after the first time. I will also make home care recommendations as well as provide your with a treatment plan in order to help your specific condition.

Need to make an appointment? You can reach my Glenwood City office at 715-265-7500, the 4 Corners at 715-246-7500 or message me via the Arvold Chiropractic Facebook page messenger.

The most common cause of back pain is a spinal subluxation, or a bone out of place. Once a bone is not in the proper alignment it places stress on the spinal joints which if not corrected leads to degeneration of cartilage between the joints, degenerative disc disease and the formation of arthritis.

Most problems are caused by repetitive stresses that we place on our bodies. These can range from poor postures, movements associated with our jobs or recreational activities or other minor things we don’t even know we do.

Enter our feet! One of the most common signs I see in my practice that people have spinal problems is chronic foot pain. These poor people usually have long standing, aching to sharp pain in one or both feet that is a daily struggle. Some days it might be better other worse but it almost always there. This tells us two things.

Something is stressing the tissues of the foot daily
The foot is not adequately supporting the rest of the body, including the spine

This scenario often leads to a situation where each problem is negatively affecting the other. The foot doesn’t support the spine leading to spinal problems. In order to compensate for this the body shifts in such a way as to add more pressure to the feet by rotating the pelvis and the femur. This often leads to collapsed arches (flat foot). Adjustments often provide relief, but the problems often return in these people because the underlying problem with the feet is not being addressed.

In order to properly treat this condition, the use of specialized orthotics is usually necessary. Orthotics are custom made shoe inserts that support the persons foot in the areas where it is not supporting the weight of the body correctly. Combined with chiropractic care to address the subluxations in the spine many people can completely recover from this condition.

Does this sound like you? We offer free foot scans that will show us if indeed you suffer from this problem. Call us to set up a scan at 715-246-7500 today or contact us via Facebook messenger.

Being a parent is hard work. We don’t always get enough sleep, are usually in a hurry and have multiple places to be and generally have uber-busy lives. One aspect of this that is often overlooked, especially for parents of very young children is back pain resulting from carrying babies, hauling around car seats and falling asleep in odd positions getting children to sleep.

Most conditions I see are the result of repetitive stresses on the spine. And guess what!? Everything I mentioned above is a repetitive stress on your spine! Let’s look at moving a car seat around. First, its heavy. The combined weight of the seat and the child are involved. It’s also awkward. Most people tend to carry it on one side with occasional shifts to the other side when it begins to hurt their arm or back. If you’re on the go this can amount to several hours a week of lifting and carrying around car seats!

Over time this repetitive lifting causes subluxations, or misaligned spinal joints caused by the repetitive stress on the spine. This leads to achy joints, tight muscles and potentially more severe problems like headaches, sciatica, tingling or numbness in the hands or others if the underlying cause is not addressed. By the way, research suggests that if a subluxation is no addressed within 8 weeks of occurring some of the damage to the joint becomes permanent. Something to think about the next time you want to just fight through the pain.

To be clear, I recommend regular adjusting (1-2 times per month) for all my patients in order to prevent the wear and tear on their spines. If you are a busy parent, I urge you to consider getting on a regular chiropractic program to help you feel better and prevent any long-term damage to the spine. It’s quick, easy and extremely safe.

*To schedule an appointment my offices can be reached at

Glenwood City – 715-265-7500

4 Corners- 715-246-7500

Or you can contact us via Facebook Messenger

As a chiropractor I see many different presentations of pain every day in my office. And while many cases present with the most typical kinds of pain associated with musculoskeletal injuries (dull, achy and tight pain) often patients present with symptoms that immediately make me suspect a more severe nerve injury as well.

Injuries causing dull, aching pain indicates muscle injury. Since many muscles attach directly to the vertebrae in the spine treating them is important to insure proper healing of the area involved. However, when a patient presents with one of the major 3 types of nerve pain things can escalate quickly if the condition is not treated promptly.

The big 3 types of nerve pain are

Burning Pain

Numb/Tingling Pain

Shooting Pain

When one or more of these types of pain is present it usually means that a nerve exiting the spine is being pinched by a vertebra that is out of alignment. Have you ever hit you “funny bone”? What happened is you hit your unprotected ulnar nerve and the weak, numb burning feeling you experience is the result of direct nerve injury. The same thing happens in the spine when nerve tissue is compressed by a subluxation (bone out of place).

The good news is that these conditions are readily treatable with chiropractic care since chiropractic adjustments gently move the problematic joint back into its proper alignment. This usually must be repeated several times as the muscle tissue needs time to heal and will usually pull the bone back out somewhat but typically the problem resolves quickly with appropriate care.

Nerve injury is significant not only because of the pain it causes but also because the nerves do not only go to muscles. They also go to the organs as well. If you have a subluxation bad enough that you are experiencing one of the 3 types of pain above rest assured, it is affecting the organ associated with those nerves as well. An example of this I see often is the nerves exiting the middle back go the stomach. I see some patients simply to make their stomach stop hurting because whenever their mid back is out, they experience upset stomach and increased stomach acid.

Getting the spine adjusted not only gets rid of pain. It also helps the whole-body work better. Since some degree of degeneration occurs when a subluxation persists for more than a month or two regular adjusting is also recommended to make sure the spine ages gracefully thereby preventing many of the symptoms listed above.

*To make an appointment call either my Glenwood City or 4 Corners office or message the clinic on Facebook.

As a chiropractor I see patients suffering from headaches literally every week. Often when I ask what precipitated the headaches or if there is a certain cause they are aware of the answer is “No, it just came out of nowhere.” Or the famous “I must have slept wrong”.

Now anyone who suffers from regular headaches knows just how debilitating the pain can be. And the awful feeling when the headache continues for not just a day but multiple days in a row. They almost seem to get worse and worse until finally the person breaks down and takes medication or in the case of the people who come see me, get the neck adjusted.

In almost every single case of headaches I see the neck exam reveals joints in the neck are painful to the touch, are not moving properly and often refer pain up into the head. This is the resulting injury from a subluxation, or a joint in the neck that is out of alignment and therefore causing abnormal movement of the joints in the neck.

When a joint is not working properly it puts undue stress on not only the joint involved but the muscles in the neck and in upper back and head. When the condition persists over days, weeks or months it gradually worsens until one day the headache “just comes out of nowhere.” The seeds of the headache have been growing for quite some time but have just now started to present with actual symptoms.

Most people will have some degree of subluxation in the spine after 2-3 weeks from their last adjustment, assuming they are being adjusted at all. If the condition remains untreated after about 8 weeks (2 months) some of the damage to the spine from the lack of normal motion can become permanent. This can present as degeneration of cartilage between the joints, thinning of the disc between the actual vertebrae or the accumulation of calcium deposits where there is bone pressing on bone which eventually becomes arthritis.

The headaches are simply a beacon that something is not right and needs correcting. Regular chiropractic care corrects spinal subluxations that lead to the accumulation of wear and tear on the spinal joints that ultimately results in the headaches. Addressing this underlying issue not only resolves the headaches but sets the person up for a healthy spine now and in the future.

Arvold Chiropractic Blog

When Should You See the Chiropractor?

Posted by Austin Erickson | 0 comments

When Should You See the Chiropractor? Many people wait until their pain becomes unbearable before visiting a chiropractor — but you don’t have to be hurting to benefit from chiropractic care. In fact, some of the best results happen when … Continue reading →

Slow Down Spinal Degeneration with Chiropractic

Posted by Austin Erickson | 0 comments

How Spinal Joints Wear Down Over Time Without Chiropractic Care Your spine is one of the most durable structures in your body—yet it’s also one of the most vulnerable. Every day, your spinal joints absorb the forces of sitting, standing, … Continue reading →

Blood Pressure and Chiropractic

Posted by Austin Erickson | 0 comments

This is some super cool information regarding high blood pressure and chiropractic… High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects millions of people worldwide and can lead to serious health complications if left untreated. While medication is often prescribed to manage blood … Continue reading →