Title: "Why You May Not Feel Pain—Until I Find It: The Truth About Pain Thresholds and Chiropractic Maintenance"

Many patients come in for their chiropractic maintenance visits saying, “I feel great—nothing’s bothering me.”  Yet, as I begin palpating (feeling) the spine and surrounding tissues, subtle areas of dysfunction or tension often emerge.  The patient, surprised, might say, “Oh, I didn’t realise that was sore!”

So, what’s going on?

The Pain Threshold Explained

Each of us has a different pain threshold—the point at which sensory input becomes uncomfortable or painful.  This threshold can be influenced by stress, sleep, inflammation, past trauma, and even genetics.  What feels painful to one person might go unnoticed by another.

During palpation, a chiropractor applies focused pressure to muscles, joints, and ligaments. This can stimulate sensory nerves enough to surpass a patient’s pain threshold, revealing dysfunction that wasn’t consciously noticeable . Essentially, the body was adapting—compensating silently—until that deeper touch made the problem apparent.

Why Pain Is a Late Sign

Pain is often the last symptom to appear and the first to go.  By the time you feel pain, the issue has often been developing for some time.  And once the pain is gone, the root cause may still be present.

This is where maintenance care shines.  Rather than waiting for pain to return, maintenance visits allow chiropractors to identify and address tension, misalignments, or compensations before they become painful or disabling.

Don’t Wait for Pain to Return

Maintenance care isn’t about chasing symptoms—it’s about staying ahead of dysfunction, preserving function, and keeping your nervous system, muscles, and joints operating at their best.

So, even if you feel fine, your chiropractor may still uncover patterns that deserve attention—because your body might be whispering before it shouts.