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Location

Location 1

101 Hodencamp Rd

suite 103

Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 USA

805-402-7576

Monday:

8:00 am - 12:00 pm

1:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Tuesday:

8:00 am - 12:00 pm

1:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Wednesday:

8:00 am - 12:00 pm

1:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Thursday:

8:00 am - 12:00 pm

1:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Friday:

8:00 am - 12:00 pm

1:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

Is My Pain Serious?

How do you know whether your pain needs to be evaluated by your chiropractor? This is the age-old question. The answer needs to be specific to your particular problem, rather than a one-size-fits all solution. But there are good guidelines that everyone can follow.
First, is your pain deep and boring (that is, does the pain feel like it's boring into you)? Deep and boring pain usually means something is seriously wrong. If you're woken up at night by this type of pain, a visit to your chiropractor or family physician is in order. Kidney stones and inflamed gallbladders are common causes for deep, boring pain that causes a person to awaken from sleep. Severe heartburn is in this category, too, and should be evaluated by your doctor.
But these types of problems are easy to categorize. You'll probably know, instinctively, that something is wrong. Musculoskeletal pain is rather more difficult to analyze. For example, you lean over in a twisting motion to grab the glass of water on your nightstand and you feel a sharp pain in your lower back. Next morning you have great difficulty getting out of bed. Your lower back is stiff and sore. What should you do?1,2
Your best course of action will be based on a self-assessment. If you're experiencing pain that radiates down your leg, or numbness or tingling sensations traveling down your leg, you should call your chiropractor's office and ask to be seen right away. Or, if you don't have any radiating pain, but sneezing or coughing does provoke a radiating sensation, take the same action. Similarly, the amount of pain you're having will determine what you do. If the pain is severe, see your chiropractor.
If none of these criteria are present, decision-making gets a bit murky. How you handle your problem will depend on your tolerance for pain. If you have low tolerance, make an appointment to see your chiropractor and get some expert treatment. If you have a higher pain threshold, you might still call for an appointment just to make sure that nothing is seriously wrong. Certainly, if you haven't improved at all after 48 hours, you need to see your chiropractor.
There is another important scenario. If you have a medical condition such as cancer, an endocrine disorder, or a systemic infection, a sudden occurrence of back pain needs immediate attention, regardless of how or why you think the pain occurred.3 This is not to be an alarmist, but rather the recommendation is based on precaution. If there is an existing problem, then new issues need to be looked at closely, just to be sure.
These guidelines provide a sound basis for decision-making, but please remember they are just that - guidelines. Each person needs to be comfortable with their own process. And, of course, it's always much better to be safe than sorry. Your chiropractor is always available to help you sort out these kinds of problems.
1Smart KM, et al: The discriminative validity of "nociceptive," "peripheral neuropathic," and "central sensitization" as mechanisms-based classifications of musculoskeletal pain. Clin J Pain 27(8):655-653, 2011
2Arendt-Nielsen L, Graven-Nielsen T: Translational musculoskeletal pain research. Clin Rheumatol 25(2):209-226, 2011
3Casazza BA: Diagnosis and treatment of acute low back pain. Am Fam Physician 85(4):343-350, 2012

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Office Hours

Our Regular Schedule

Primary Location

Monday:

8:00 am-12:00 pm

1:00 pm-6:00 pm

Tuesday:

8:00 am-12:00 pm

1:00 pm-6:00 pm

Wednesday:

8:00 am-12:00 pm

1:00 pm-6:00 pm

Thursday:

8:00 am-12:00 pm

1:00 pm-6:00 pm

Friday:

8:00 am-12:00 pm

1:00 pm-6:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

  • "I have been experiencing a lot of pain. After getting treatments here, I have felt a lot better. I highly recommend the treatments. This is the only alternative of surgery and has helped."
    Marie B.
  • "Sharp pain down both back of legs to me feet. All gone after 12 visits!!My wife all her general aches and pains all gone. Carpel tunnel treatment for my hands, tingling almost all gone."
    Jerry N.
  • "I love the approach here with Dr. Rosenthal. They really do promote the well being of the entire body. The services and care offered here are unparalleled. I have a much better awareness of my body and how so many factors go into maintaining a healthy body. I have and will recommend Dr. Rosenthal to anyone looking to better themselves."
    Jason B.
  • "Dr. Rosenthal has been a great help to me and my lower back pain. The thing I appreciate the most is the education I received regarding my body and its condition. They have a wonderful, clean professional and technically advanced facility. I’ve always felt like I was in very capable and knowledgeable hands with Dr. Rosenthal and his staff. I have recommended them to many people and will continue to do so."
    Jeff J.
  • "Dr. Rosenthal and his excellent staff have done a great job getting me back to 100%. The rehab program and thorough weekly visits have me feeling great. Thank you."
    Josh G.
  • "Dr. Rosenthal and his staff are awesome! I came in three weeks ago in tremendous pain. Within a week I was doing 100% better and now I am pain free. Thank you again Dr. Rosenthal"
    Keith P.
  • "It has been a pleasure having Dr. Rosenthal work with me. I work out HARD and I have Scoliosis in the spine. I also had vertigo, tingling in my arms and limited range of motion. Since coming here I have not had vertigo, no tingling and range of motion is much better. I thank and totally appreciate Dr. Rosenthal and staff for feeling good."
    Tom K.
  • "As a martial artist I work out my whole body on a regular basis. With injuries I sustained and constant stress on my body it became difficult to teach and train in the art I love. I came in to get help and after seeing my X-rays, and the way mybody was out of alignment I realized how much help I really need. Now in just three months time my body is in much better alignment, I am feeling so much better and my body is under a lot less stress."
    Alex R.
  • "I first came here after suffering really bad pain in my lower back. It hurt to stand up and even sitting down involved discomfort. I was met by Dr. Rosenthal and in a very professional yet caring way; and after an evaluation, Dr. Rosenthal suggested treatment. I am now in the third week of such a treatment and the improvement has already been immense. I have nothing but gratitude and respect towards Dr. Rosenthal and his team."
    Demi M.
  • "I first came here after a car accident. I was suffering from shoulder, neck and back pain. Dr. Rosenthal and his staff are amazing, helpful and always bring a positive vibe whenever I come in. Now my pain is almost gone and it makes me very excited that I started coming here."
    Jerica A.
  • "When I came here I was extremely stressed, my body was tight and misaligned. After the first month I had major improvements. I am continuing treatment and on a path to total transformation. I have been to many treatment centers in the past and this is by far the best experience."
    Bryan S.
  • "Great results. Wonderful great people! Will definitely recommend to other people."
    Sandra F.
  • "When I first came here I was having headaches and migraines almost daily at a debilitating level. As a student it was really hard to stay focused on schoolwork. After a month of coming here the headaches disappeared. I am sleeping better and have more energy. It completely changed my day to day life and helped to get me back to the things I enjoyed."
    Jenna M.
  • "After years of neck and upper back pain, off and on, I finally feel great. I'm very thankful to Dr .Rosenthal and crew for helping me improve the quality of life. I highly them."
    Kristen F.
  • "I came in not being able to use my right arm due to horrible pain. The treatment was fully explained to me. Everyone is so helpful and warm here. They really care about you as a person and your progress. This is a very happy and wonderful place. My arm is almost back to 100% thanks to all of you."
    Julie T.