When spinal misalignments happen, the body experiences soreness, inability to rotate the neck, or after sitting/standing in one position for too long, hip and leg discomfort/pain. This is why spinal alignment is so crucial to healthy living. These examples help to illustrate the delicate balance required in the spine to maintain optimal health, stay pain-free, prevent injury, and the ability to conduct everyday chores/responsibilities without the fear and anxiety of setting off pain symptoms.

Understanding how pain is processed

Pain is a complex sensation. Neural pain receptors, also known as nociceptors, detect harmful stimulation/s in the form of:

• Body Temperature changes
• Mechanical forces and pressure on the body
• Chemical changes in the body brought on by inflammation or cell damage

How the signal transmits from the stimulated nerve and how it is perceived depends on the upper levels of neural activity in the body. Specifically, the spinal cord, brainstem, and brain. Examples of pain perceptions:

• Beliefs
• Mood levels
• Stress levels
• General Health
• Other sensations the body could be experiencing
• Previous pain-generating experienced – auto accident, work injury, etc.

Spinal Misalignments and Balance

Pain is essential for alerting the body when engaged in activities and body positions that can cause damage to the tissues, like poor postures, work/sports/personal injuries, inflammatory foods, etc. The nerves’ pain pathways can experience overstimulation when the system is overloaded.

Excessive stimulation can be brought on by chronic inflammation, mood disorders, and poor health. One overlooked issue with the perception of pain is the health/effectiveness of the actual neural pathways. The nerve’s energy is affected by spinal misalignments. Proper nerve health and circulation are crucial for the body to transmit proper pain signals. Spinal misalignments can be brought on by:

• Chronic poor posture
• Injury
• Other imbalances in the body
• This can lead to major dysfunction of the nerves pathways

The longer the pain and discomfort go on, the more intense/severe the issues can become. This is when pain and discomfort become chronic, leaving individuals feeling hopeless and frustrated.

Symptoms

The spine does more than provide stability. Any type of spinal misalignment will also affect the rest of the body. Possible symptoms that the spine is out of alignment include:

• Chronic headaches
• Frequent illnesses
• Fatigue
• Lower back pain
• Neck pain
• Hip pain
• Knee pain
• Numbness/tingling in the hands or feet
• Walking gait abnormalities cause one shoe to wear out quicker than the other

Chiropractic Management

Many treatments focus on masking the pain rather than addressing the underlying root cause. This can lead to a chronic pain cycle, dependence on pain medications, and invasive treatment. Chiropractic is a science-based approach that focuses on getting to the root issue. Chiropractic utilizes gentle and effective techniques like:

• Manipulation
• Exercise regimen
• Stretching regimen
• Body mechanics training
• Health nutritional education

When the body is aligned, and the spinal nerves are healthy, an individual’s pain perception will be changed for optimal functionality.

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InBody Composition

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Body composition goals

The first step is to reduce caloric intake by changing/adjusting dietary nutritional habits. Individuals can experiment with various types of diets and regular exercise regimens and get into the habit of getting the proper amount of sleep. Gaining Lean Body Mass could be an option depending on an individual’s existing muscle mass. An individual may be able to lose fat and gain muscle because:

• Increased muscle mass will increase the Basal Metabolic Rate/metabolism, and if no extra calories are added, body fat can be shed while building muscle.
• Lifting weights can increase Total Daily Energy Expenditure, causing the body to burn more calories.

Circuit training is one option for improving body composition changes while not affecting overall body weight changes. This means muscle gain and fat loss are happening at the same time.

References

Dubinsky RM, Miyasaki J.Assessment: Efficacy of transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation in the treatment of pain in neurologic disorders (an evidence-based review). Report of the Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Neurology. 2010;74:173-176.

Shrier I. Does stretching help prevent injuries? Evidence-based Sports Medicine. Williston, VT: BMJ Books; 2002.