When the Pain's Gone

Everyone's excited when pain they've been experiencing goes away.  That's because pain is such a powerful force in our lives.  But the reality is that pain is not a very good indicator of how healthy or unhealthy we are.  When we have a problem pain is usually the last symptom to appear.  It can also be the first thing to disappear when correcting a problem.

Vertebral subluxations in the spine involve muscles, ligaments and nerves.  The inflammatory response to these tissues being injured is usually what produces pain in the spine.  Although irritation on the nerves can also produce pain.  With specific spinal adjustments, the inflammation associated with spinal injuries often subsides very quickly.  The pain goes away.  At this point however the job of rehabilitating the spine is only partly done. 

Muscles, ligaments and nerves take time to heal; often a very long time.  They must also be retrained to do their jobs properly.  Only through the re-establishment of normal joint motion, by spinal adjustments, can the tissues begin to work properly.  Exercise and nutrition are also vital to successful healing.  Until the muscles, ligaments and nerves are fully healed and retrained, they are susceptible to re-injury.

I'm exited for my patients when their pain goes away, because that is usually their goal when they first come to see me.  However, I also know that the job of correcting their spine is only just beginning.  The patient is always in charge of deciding how far they want to take their care.