Well adjusted: Could chiropractic care fit into your treatment plan?

Think your stiff joints and achy back are a normal part of getting older? Well, it shouldn't be that way.

Remember, pain is the body's way of telling you something is not right, and you should never think of pain as "normal," says Dr. Greg Pursley, chiropractor at PC Wellness Centers in Cape Girardeau.

Chiropractors can provide primary care for people suffering from joint and muscle problems, along with preventive care to ward off future problems.

"People are realizing life has too much going on to have crises, and to be going through your regular day and then have back pain or neck pain," says Dr. Eric Becking, chiropractor at Becking Clinic in Cape Girardeau. "When it stops your work or normal routine is when most people start paying attention, and when they usually wind up in my clinic."

The same is true at PC Wellness Centers, where Pursley says most patients come to him when there's something they can't do in their everyday life, such as work in the garden or play with their grandchildren.

TBY cutline:Dr. Gregory W. Pursley works on a patient inside PC Wellness Centers in Cape Girardeau. (Laura Simon)

The goal of chiropractic care, he says, is to improve people's lifestyles so they're no longer fearful of having pain and some sort of consequences of that pain. Chiropractic care can help with back pain, headaches, allergies, ear infections, extremity pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, pregnancy pain and more, he says.

"The problem is that a lot of people don't know we're a primary option," says Pursley, adding that chiropractic care is covered by Medicare and 90 percent of insurance plans, and no referral is necessary. He estimates 40 percent of his patients are 65 and older, and most of them come to him at the urging of younger family members.

"Usually at this point in their life, a lot of things are starting to show up that they've never had before," says Becking. "Or there are complaints that they've put off and they're finally getting to the point where they're noticing them a lot. They're close to retirement and they want to feel good when they retire."

But public opinion has been shifting toward the idea that medication may not be the "be all and end all" when it comes to treatment, says Pursley.

"As our society understands more about their health, a bigger percentage of individuals have decided to use chiropractic care," he says. "I believe this is because we have more access to health information than ever before, due largely in part to the Internet."

Dr. Gregory W. Pursley outside PC Wellness Centers in Cape Girardeau. (Laura Simon)

Becking explains that chiropractic care "supports the natural ability of the body to function and heal," whether from sports or car accidents or chronic stresses that occur over time.

"It's restoring function into areas of the spine that are out of alignment or not functioning properly. Once you get in better alignment, you have a more balanced and healthier body that performs better," says Becking. "Probably the biggest reason to pursue chiropractic is as an alternative to medication. It depends on how you want to treat your symptoms. If you're looking for a way to not have to use medicine ongoing, chiropractic is definitely the first place to start. That's why I became a chiropractor -- I wanted to help people without medication and surgery. Those things are definitely needed, but what we do is very important and preventive."

A good chiropractor should work with physicians and make sure their patients are in the right place and getting the right care, Pursley says. That's why a visit to his clinic begins with a consultation and review of medical history to determine whether he can help the patient, or whether the patient requires care from a different type of medical provider.

During a first visit, Becking checks out a patient's spine and performs some functional tests, such as having a patient stand with each foot on a scale to see if they are putting equal weight on both sides of the body.

Patients continue seeing their chiropractor until their goals, as discussed during the consultation, are met. However, many patients benefit from continued care to keep the body aligned and prevent more joint and muscle pain.

"As I tell my patients, whether it's your car or your home or your teeth, maintenance has to happen. Scheduled maintenance is best -- don't wait for it to be rattling and falling apart," says Becking.

And just like other things in life -- finances, weight, surgery -- the longer you put off proper care, the more the condition deteriorates.

"You can't wait for your car to blow up and then ask for an oil change," says Pursley. "You can't wait until the end and think you can fix it all."