No matter how you slice it, many treatments we perform in our holistic healing center hurt. In our line of work, we are often asked, “Why does treatment have to hurt?” or, “Is there another way?” Sometimes we even hear, “I came to get out of pain, and you are putting me in more pain!” What we want is to get you out of pain and back into your routines.
First, injuries themselves are complex and usually multifaceted. They fall into three main categories:
Single events
Accumulation of small injuries over time leading to a more serious injury
Repetitive poor movement
So, what are “small” injuries? These are injuries that happen unbeknownst to us. We are complex beings leading complex lifestyles with uncountable variables. We can often become injured and experience only slight, fleeting pain, and sometimes no pain at all. The body compensates and we move right along. These small injuries usually heal over time, but sometimes they don’t. Causes for slow healing can include poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, or poor movement patterns. These factors can accumulate over time and lead to a bigger issue.
Life happens, though. These are all common factors and can easily go unnoticed or ignored–that’s why we like to see our clients regularly. Regular checkups can help to prevent injuries like these from worsening or occuring in the first place.
Let’s turn our attention to injuries. Why do they hurt so much, and why does it have to hurt when you come in for treatment? The answer to the first question is simple — you injured your body’s tissue. Tissue damage leads to inflammation, and both create pain. Pain is the body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. The small injuries I spoke of earlier are trigger points, or fascial adhesions. They are inflamed and angry, and that’s why they hurt.
Associated with these points are inhibited muscles, or what I call “weak muscles.” Basically, the brain is trying to protect the injured area by isolating it and compensating for it. This is what I’m looking for when I perform muscular tests. When I find a fascial adhesion, I will massage them out. While this process can be painful, massaging these points reconfigures them and helps the body begin the healing process. The muscles go back to normal and the body readjusts. So, whether the injury happened all at once or over time, the healing process essentially follows the same principles.
As the doctor, I am trying to sort it all out and problem solve to help your body heal. The pain is an unfortunate but necessary part of treatment. The body is full of marvelous, fascinating processes.
Would you like to wait four to six weeks trying other treatments that may not resolve your pain, or deal with some discomfort now for more immediate relief? We all have busy schedules, and I want to be able to help people get back to their day-to-day lives as soon as possible. No one likes pain — it sucks. But one hour of pain is better than weeks–or even months or years– of pain, taking time off of work, and so on. I cannot promise that I can help everyone, nor am I saying that everyone gets better in one hour, though I wish that could be the case.
In today’s post, I simply wanted to explain why pain is a necessary part of treatment. The body and the brain seem to respond to this treatment well — it just happens to be a painful process. If you want to learn more about why it hurts, then be sure to check out my in-depth article about fascia.
If you need to schedule a chiropractic appointment, or if you’re interested in learning more about how Ozark Holistic Center in Fayetteville can help you, then fill out the form below. We look forward to speaking with you!
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