Not a week goes by that a new patient comes in for their first visit and in the course of taking a history I ask them what they have done up to this point to try to resolve their neck or back pain. I want to know if they have taken medication, had a massage, been to Physical Therapy, used ice or heat, or stretched.
Regardless of whatever else they have done, almost everyone has tried stretching to relieve their pain. And, it didn’t work or they wouldn’t have scheduled an appointment with me.
Guess what? The stretching didn’t work. It rarely does. Sometimes it offers very short term temporary relief but it never resolves the problem.
WHY DOESN’T STRETCHING WORK?
In order to understand this let’s look at how the body works. Your body is in a never ending quest to maintain balance. This happens on many levels in the body from heart rate to blood glucose to hormones, etc.
If your spine or pelvis is out of balance the body will attempt to bring you back into greater balance. How does it do this? It does this by using the body’s muscles. Muscles tighten up more often in an attempt to restore and maintain balance.
IS THE LOCATION OF PAIN THE CAUSE OF THE PAIN?
Those muscles working hard to restore balance become tight from the constant work. And, over time they can become a source of pain. But, that doesn’t mean they are the problem. Often it’s the opposite. Those muscles that seem to hurt are actually working hard to stabilize an unstable condition.
If you stretch those tight muscles there is a chance you will experience more pain rather than less. Even if the stretching does offer some relief it will be short lived because the muscle tightness and spasm is not the cause of the problem.
CORRECT THE IMBALANCE
If the muscle spasm and tightness is the effect of an imbalance it makes sense that the way out of the pain is to correct the imbalance. If you do that often the muscles do not need to be stretched or massaged. And, if they do, the relief is much more long lasting.
Corrective chiropractic care differs from traditional chiropractic care. Most chiropractors are a little like massage therapists for tight joints. They use manipulation to help increase movement in tight joints. But, like massaging those tight muscles this rarely has a long term impact. And, physical therapy has been shown to increase the use of opioid drugs and spinal injections.
Corrective chiropractic uses specific chiropractic adjustments that have been shown to be much more impactful than manipulation. The goal here is threefold:
- Restore Motion to the tight joints that have been determined to be causing the problem. Not every tight joint is a cause of the problem. Some are tight in a response to the irritated joints.
- Restore Alignment to the joints of the spine and pelvis. It is not enough to increase motion. If the spine and pelvis is misaligned the imbalance, tightness, and pain returns.
- Activate the Muscles of Posture. These muscles are often called the Posterior Chain and they run up the back of the legs, hips, pelvis and spine. As a consequence of misalignment, joint restriction, and inactivity these critically important muscles become inhibited and stop working properly. In combination with restoring movement and alignment these muscles need to be turned back on.
If you are looking for relief from chronic neck or back pain look for a corrective chiropractor. Stay away from chiropractors who use spinal manipulation or try to tell you it is the same as a chiropractic adjustment.
Life Chiropractic in Grass Valley specializes in helping people suffering from chronic neck pain, headaches, back pain, sciatica, and anxiety.
About Dr. Berkowitz
Bringing more than 3 decades of practice experience, Dr. Bill Berkowitz focuses on balancing and corrective care, applying his expertise to provide patients with predictable, repeatable and measurable results.
Dr. Bill consistently strives to enhance the well-being of his patients by addressing the root imbalances of their problems and promoting optimal balance, alignment, and function of the spine and nervous system.
Bill’s wealth of knowledge and experience has allowed him to develop a nuanced understanding of the human body and its intricate connections. With each adjustment, he supports the body in returning to a state of balance that goes beyond mere symptom relief, focusing instead on long-term correction for his patients’ well-being.
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