We sometimes forget that feeling the sensation of pain is a warning that something is not quite right within our body. Most pain is transient and will dissipate in time. Then there is chronic pain, which, if not constantly with you, tends to return again and again. Pain warns us of illness and injury, and is nature’s way of saying, “Don’t do anything foolish or things could get a whole lot worse.” In other words, something is wrong, pay heed or you could very well aggravate the problem.

We’re an active nation, many of us striving to get in better shape, lose some weight or find more meaning in our lives beyond the co-called daily grind of work and a sedentary home life where binging on streaming videos may be your claim to personal improvement. Turning to exercise and recreational sports is a great way to get your body back or start a new chapter in fitness. However, the danger of sports and exercise injuries always lurks due to accident or perhaps doing too much too soon.

For those who think there’s not much that can go wrong when you are asleep, except for an occasional bad dream, we’re here to put that notion to rest. There are cases of spinal decompression reported every year while people sleep, and, if you think of the strange contortions that can occur in the sleeping mode, we’re also here to report cases of overextended knees, twisted elbows and wrists and even stiff and wrenched necks from elevated pillows. Many a chiropractor can attest to easing the pain and discomfort for all the above, but would you believe that venerable and muscled joint, the shoulder, is among the most vulnerable parts of the human body susceptible to injury from sleeping?

Chiropractic medicine has been around since 1895 and has flourished since World War II, despite mainstream medicine’s skepticism for much of that time. But the loyalty of Americans seeking relief and treatment from chiropractors, as well as growing recognition and respect from the medical community has seen an explosion in those preferring modern chiropractic care.

The oft-abused knee takes a beating from the physically active among us, but, at the same time, staying physically active is key to keeping this complex joint strong and flexible. Most knee injuries, starting with sprains, are caused by the excessive force of bending and twisting, and if you have been exceedingly sedentary for weeks and months, as has often been the case in the long year of the pandemic, suddenly getting physical again may take its toll.