The 6 Most Unhealthy Words I Hear
At Hartley Chiropractic Center, there’s a phrase I hear almost every week—sometimes whispered, sometimes laughed off, sometimes said with frustration:
“I Thought It Would Go Away.”
Those six words might sound harmless, but in my experience, they’re one of the biggest reasons people stay stuck in pain longer than they should.
Your body is incredibly smart. It adapts, compensates, and works around problems for as long as it can. That’s why many people don’t feel pain right away when something isn’t functioning properly. The nervous system quietly adjusts… until it can’t anymore.
Pain is rarely the first sign something is wrong—it’s usually the last.
I recently met a patient who came into our office with persistent low back pain that had been bothering her for over a year. She told me she assumed it was just part of getting older and figured it would eventually resolve on its own. She stayed active, stretched when it felt tight, and pushed through her day. Over time, the pain didn’t just linger—it began affecting her sleep, her energy, and her ability to enjoy daily activities. Once we evaluated her spine, it became clear that her body had been compensating for a long time. With proper care focused on restoring motion and nervous system function, she was finally able to address the root of the problem instead of just managing symptoms.
This story isn’t unusual.
By the time symptoms show up, the issue has often been building for months or even years. Poor posture. Long hours at a desk. Repetitive movements. Stress. Old injuries that were never fully addressed. The body keeps score, even when you’re busy living life.
Modern culture has taught us to ignore early warning signs. We stretch it out. Take a pill. Power through. And when the pain eases temporarily, we assume the problem is gone. In reality, the underlying dysfunction often remains.
Chiropractic care focuses on the nervous system—the system that controls every single function in your body. Your spine protects that system. When spinal motion is restricted or alignment is compromised, communication between the brain and body is affected. Over time, that interference can show up as pain, stiffness, headaches, fatigue, or reduced mobility.
The goal of chiropractic isn’t just to make pain disappear. The goal is to restore proper function so your body can heal and regulate itself the way it was designed to—naturally and proactively, not reactively.
We see this pattern in people of all ages:
Adults who waited too long to address chronic neck or low back pain
Pregnant moms trying to stay comfortable as their bodies change
Children developing posture issues earlier than ever
Active individuals pushing through discomfort until it limits what they love to do
The earlier care begins, the easier the process usually is—and the better the long-term outcome.
Imagine if we treated spinal health the way we treat dental health: routine checkups, early intervention, and prevention instead of waiting for an emergency. Most people wouldn’t ignore a toothache for a year and hope it disappears—but many do exactly that with their spine.
If you’ve been telling yourself, “It’s not that bad,” or “I’ll deal with it later,” consider this your reminder. Your body isn’t failing you—it’s communicating with you.
At Hartley Chiropractic Center, we believe chiropractic should be a foundation for health, not a last resort.
– Dr. Theresa Hartley, hartleychiropracticcenter.com
