Introduction:
Pain is deceptive. It’s often the last symptom to appear and the first to disappear, which can mislead us about the state of our health.
In this blog, I'll explain why focusing solely on pain relief during chiropractic care or physical therapy may be short sighted and can do more harm than good, especially when dealing with chronic pain.
We will also dive into how getting out someone out of pain is the easiest part of what we do, and how we go about doing that for someone.
The Illusion of Pain Relief
It’s common thought that chiropractic care is all about pain relief. However, pain is just the body’s final alarm system signaling something wrong. The real issue begins much earlier with dysfunction in movement or strength, leading to compensation, then tissue disruption, and ultimately pain.
When we focus only on silencing this alarm—pain—we ignore the underlying dysfunction and tissue damage. This oversight is why previous injuries are the number one predictor of future ones, leading to a frustrating cycle of recurring pain.
Imagine this: Dysfunction leads to compensation, which then leads to more tissue disruption and more severe pain each time the cycle repeats. The real damage becomes increasingly difficult to reverse, making a true, permanent fix seem elusive.
(Interested in breaking the cycle for good? Book a discovery visit today to start addressing the root causes of your pain.)
Why Pain Relief Is Just the Beginning
Surprisingly, alleviating pain is the easiest part of a chiropractor’s job. Pain is a neurological response designed to protect the body—it tells us to slow down or stop to prevent further damage. To reduce pain, we manipulate the body’s neurological signaling by improving proprioception, or body awareness: essentially, we trick the body into thinking there is no damange so that it does not sound the alarm.
Deep Dive into Proprioception: Proprioception involves three main systems: vision, hearing, and joint position sense. In cases of pain, there’s usually a disruption in how the joints report to the brain. By adjusting these reports—through movements that restore normal joint function—we can temporarily alleviate pain.
Example: If bending forward causes pain, we might work on extending your back repeatedly to normalize the input to your brain, reducing discomfort. This immediate relief feels great, but it’s temporary unless we address the underlying issues.
Other Interventions: We also directly treat tissue damage through methods like massage, dry needling, and targeted exercises. These techniques help repair the tissue but must be part of a broader strategy to correct the initial dysfunction that led to the damage.
To understand more about what happens after pain relief, and how to solve movement dysfunctions, and compensations check out our Retrain Blog.
Conclusion:
Tricking the body into feeling less pain is straightforward—that’s why quick fixes like adjustments and medications are popular. However, to achieve lasting relief and prevent future issues, we must dive deeper to correct foundational dysfunctions.
PS: Follow us on Instagram for more insights into effective pain management and wellness strategies.
Dr. Justus Kauffman
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