Pain, the Central Nervous System, and the Chiropractor…
By Dr. Carly Njaa
D.C., B.Sc. Kin | July 3, 2023
Pain. So many of us live with it. Sometimes because we’ve been living with it for so long, it has become a part of us. Sometimes because we don’t believe there’s anything else out there that can actually make a difference.
Pain isn’t always what it seems. The practitioners here at Holistic Physiotherapy & Wellness have tasked ourselves with helping our patients separate the symptoms from the cause. Once we do that, we can resolve the thing that is standing between you and a pain-free existence.
No one here will ever suggest that the pain you feel isn’t real. But once you understand what causes people to feel pain, the ways in which we can treat it make a lot more sense. Pain is like a warning light in your car, telling you that something is wrong with the engine. In this case, your nervous system is trying to tell you that you are experiencing an imbalance and interpreting a perceived threat or danger.
Pain, your nervous system, and chiropractic care are all interrelated to each other as stress, injury, poor posture, and/or overuse – can all impact the neuromusculoskeletal system. The effects snowball from there: joints get restricted, muscle tension increases, other soft tissues and nerves in the affected area can become inflamed, and neighbouring muscles overcompensate and further destabilize the body’s ability to function the way that it should.
This is where chiropractic care can step in. I love being a chiropractor because I get a front-row seat to its amazing healing powers - both in the long and short term. It truly is therapy for your neuromusculoskeletal system and overall quality of life. We use spinal adjustments, soft tissue therapies, and other modalities to take pressure off of the muscles, joints, and peripheral nerves that then further allow for improved function of your body.
Our nervous system can’t actually speak to us in words - that would be weird! But it tells us in countless other ways it appreciates our focus on the function of our spine. Within our vertebral spinal column, your spinal cord is housed, and at each spinal level you have a set of nerves that exit, this makes up your peripheral nervous system. These nerves tell your heart to beat, your lungs to breathe, and your muscles to contract; this is the way our brain is connected to our body. The way our body is then connected to our brain comes from sensory neurons. Pain information is transmitted through nociceptors, which are the pain sensory neurons, they respond to damaging stimuli and tell your brain about this perceived threat or danger.
Therefore, as Chiropractors are neuromusculoskeletal experts, we are able to influence the function of your nervous system, muscles, and joints! The short-term benefits of chiropractic care can help patients recover faster when they are experiencing acute pain. The long-term benefits of chiropractic care can improve the way your nerves, muscles, and joints function; with improved function and decreased pain, you may find improvements to your quality of life that can affect your mood, stress levels, and energy levels.
In addition to the instantaneous benefits of chiropractic care, like relief from pain and improved body function, many patients report more energy and improved well-being. Over time, we also see –
Better Sleep - people who suffer from insomnia often find relief from chiropractic care. Chiropractic adjustments can help alleviate musculoskeletal pain, and by addressing the underlying causes of pain, chiropractic care may help individuals find relief and experience less discomfort while trying to sleep. And we all know that healthy sleep is critical in achieving total wellness!
Relax and Release - well-known symptoms of stress are muscle tightness, tension headaches, neck pain, and back pain. A chiropractic adjustment of the spine helps release that muscle tension and improves segmental joint mobility. The relaxation effects of treatment, along with physical relief from pain, can contribute to a patient’s subjective feeling of an overall sense of well-being and stress reduction.
Perhaps most importantly, regular chiropractic care can not only treat and relieve the pain you’re experiencing today - it can prevent pain in the future. As we age, it’s important to maintain flexibility, mobility, and a full range of motion to prevent falls and to be able to enjoy our favourite activities throughout our lives.
Come spend some time with me and see how much good a visit to the chiropractor can do for your body and mind. Don’t spend a minute longer with untreated pain. It’s your nervous system asking for help. We can help.
Dr. Carly Njaa
D.C., B.Sc. Kin