When you feel a pain or ache in your body, chances are that, most of the time, you are going to ignore it. If it goes away on its own, it's likely wasn't that big a deal in the first place. If it persists and becomes debilitating, that's the time when you decide you need to see a chiropractor.

However, many people with persistent aches and pains, such as hip pain and neck pain, may instead be feeling the effects of referred pain.

What is referred pain?

For the most part, when you feel an ache or pain in a particular body part, it's because there is something wrong with that area, either due to injury, strain, or simply the aging process. Referred pain comes about due to confusion among nerve pathways, causing the brain to interpret pain as being in one location while the actual problem is in another. This is most common with headaches and migraines, as some will seek out migraine treatment only to discover that the real problem was in their upper neck muscles the entire time.

Where is the danger?

People tend to have a fear of being told that something is wrong with their body. It's why many people are afraid to go to the doctors or the dentist for their regular check-ups. It also leads to people believing that the pain they are feeling is nothing to worry about, putting their body under unnecessary strain while they are, in fact, doing more harm than good by keeping quiet about their suffering.

Pain in your body should never be ignored, no matter how minor you believe it to be.

Referred pain is a good reason to not simply ignore an ache or pain in your body and wait for it to go away, as you may be doing more harm to the area of your body that is suffering. Chiropractors are trained in seeing exactly where the pain is coming from, referred or otherwise, and correcting the issue to ensure you are able to live a normal, happy life free of debilitating pain.

To visit a Melville chiropractor, speak to us today.