Before we even get started let’s lay a foundation. Whatever we are doing in the US to treat neck and back pain and headaches IS NOT WORKING!
In the US back and neck pain treatment costs $88 Billion per year “despite evidence most treatments don’t work”. This NIH paper makes a powerful case for non-pharmacologic treatments for neck and back pain. According the the famous Mayo Clinic chiropractic is effective for headaches and other spine related conditions.
Understanding common misbeliefs will help you in your own healthcare. Here are the most common misbeliefs about chronic neck pain, back pain, and headaches.
I bring more than 30 years of clinical experience to this discussion. Currently, I practice corrective chiropractic at Life Chiropractic in Grass Valley, CA. Not a week goes by without someone coming in who has received inappropriate care due to these misbeliefs.
MOST COMMON MISBELIEFS
#1 Muscle Spasm: While it is true that neck and back pain, and often headaches are accompanied by muscle spasm, it is a fallacy to believe that the primary cause of the pain is muscle spasm.
Whenever I see someone who has been to the ER or Urgent Care they are almost always given a prescription for a muscle relaxer like Flexeril. If it worked they wouldn’t be in my office.
Sometimes a muscle relaxer offers some relief but rarely if ever does it eliminate the pain. That’s because the muscle spasm is much less the cause of the problem than it is the result of some imbalance. It is the body’s effort to brace the inflamed area.
#2 Stretching: This goes along with the muscle spasm. It is often commonly believed that muscle tightness is the cause of neck pain, headaches, and back pain. There is a little bit of truth here but the muscle tightness like the muscle spasm is much more effect than the cause.
Headaches for instance are often accompanied by tightness in the muscles at the very top of the neck, the suboccipital area. This is caused by a misalignment, or subluxation, of the top bones in the neck that results in tightening of the muscles in the body’s effort to align those bones.
When the Occiput, Atlas (C1), and Axis (C2) are adjusted the muscle tension melts like hot wax.
#3 Inflammation: Perhaps the most common medication prescribed for neck pain, headaches, and back pain is an anti-inflammatory. This is based on the belief that the inflammation is causing the pain. And, yes, that is often true.
But, rarely does the doctor stop and question why the inflammation is there. If you treat the inflammation without addressing the cause you are allowing the problem to persist silently.
Inflammation is part of the healing process. If there is an injury it will actually heal faster and more fully if the inflammatory process is allowed to continue.
With neck and back pain and headaches any inflammation is due to irritation of the joints and nerves of the spine. By restoring movement and alignment you remove the cause of the inflammation.
#4 When the Pain is Gone, the Problem is Gone: This is another consequence of the medical focus on symptoms without really looking to the cause. Pain is the body’s way of telling you something is out of balance. It was likely out of balance before the pain arrived and there’s a good chance it is still out of balance after the pain leaves.
If all you do is cover up the pain you leave the underlying problem to progressively worsen over time.
Pain is a very poor indicator of whether something is wrong and how bad it is. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US. Yet, the first symptom of massive chest pain could be the last symptom.
TAKE AWAYS…
Pain certainly tells you to pay attention to what is going on. It is an indication that the body is out of balance and unable to return to balance on its own. Treatment directed solely at reducing or eliminating the pain does nothing to address the imbalance(s) that are causing the pain.
By ignoring the underlying imbalances you allow the condition to progressively worsen over the years. This is one reason there are so many people incapacitated by arthritis. They either ignored the warning signs or covered them up with medication for years, allowing the arthritis to silently progress.
Don’t suffer any longer with chronic headaches, neck pain, or back pain. Corrective chiropractic care differs from traditional chiropractic in that its focus is on restoring proper alignment, movement and function to the joints of the spine and pelvis. This corrects sources of nerve pressure and irritation.
If you live in Nevada County consider Life Chiropractic in Grass Valley, CA. You can schedule your initial visit here: Schedule Here.
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.