Chiropractic care focuses not only on the skeletal system and joints but also on the treatment of muscle pain. The muscles are interwoven with fascia, a type of tissue that allows muscles to glide smoothly over one another. Both muscles and fascia can develop painful adhesions, often recognized by their hard or knot like texture under the skin.
Muscle pain can be quite uncomfortable and even debilitating in certain cases. When you are suffering from muscle pain, your chiropractor can provide some much-needed relief using a variety of effective treatment options.
Table of Contents
What is Myofascial Pain Syndrome?
The word “myofascial” is a mouthful, but there is a reason it is used by chiropractors. The first part of the word, “myo”, generally refers to your muscles. The second part of the word, “fascia”, refers to the connective tissue that is found all throughout your body. Myofascial pain syndrome is used to indicate muscle pain in its various forms. This may include issues with your fascia, muscle tissue, or both.
Myofascial pain can vary considerably, ranging from mild and frustrating to completely debilitating. Fortunately, whatever the intensity of the discomfort, chiropractic treatment can provide a solution that lessens and often eliminates the pain.
Trigger Points
The knots you have probably felt in your muscles or had others identify are also known as trigger points. These tight spots are often sensitive to the touch and can be found in any muscle in your body. As they develop, they may produce symptoms like numbness, burning, weakness, pain, and tingling.
Trigger points are caused by trauma to the body, such as an accident in a car or during athletics. They can also be caused by more mild, long-term trauma, such as working at a desk without proper ergonomics or making a repetitive motion over a long period of time.
Trigger points are challenging to identify sometimes because they occur at different spots in different people. They also produce something called “referred pain”, a pain that is felt somewhere else besides where the actual trigger point is. Chiropractors are trained to track down trigger points, though, so even if they are somewhat hidden by referred pain, they can be found eventually.
How Chiropractic Helps with Myofascial Pain Syndrome
Chiropractors are not only good at finding trigger points, but they are also good at treating them. They accomplish this using a variety of techniques. Some of the benefits of chiropractic for myofascial pain include:
Breaking Up Adhesions
Trauma in the muscles can cause adhesions to form. Adhesions are when muscle fibers and/or fascia bond together into a form of scar tissue. The adhesions cause the muscles to catch instead of slide smoothly, which can have a cascading effect on the body. Not only does the adhesion hurt, but it also causes joints to become misaligned and further problems to develop.
Pressure on the Trigger Point
Sometimes the most effective way to treat a trigger point is to apply pressure to smooth out the muscle and fascia. Chiropractors can do this with their hands or specific tools.
Improving Overall Alignment
The cause of trigger points and muscle pain is often trauma, but sometimes the trauma is not as obvious as an accident or a trauma directly to the affected area. Misalignment in the spine or the extremities can cause the body to move incorrectly. Over time, the incorrect movement patterns can put extra strain on the muscles. Chiropractic focuses on helping your whole body become aligned, which can ease muscle pain and prevent further issues from developing.
Help With Muscle Pain
Please contact our office to schedule an appointment with a chiropractor. Let us help alleviate your muscle pain and get you back on your feet again!
The Benefit of Using *CHIROPRACTIC ORTHOTICS* | El Paso, Tx (2019)
Support for your 3 Arches
The feet are the foundation of the body. They provide the stability to perform activities by supporting the weight of the entire body using the 3-arched bond called the plantar vault.
The plantar vault provides numerous benefits:
- Balances the body
- Propels us forward
- Absorbs heel-strike shock
- Walking and running stresses adaptation
The Plantar Vault
The foot is made up of 3 arches. These arches are what keep the body balanced:
- Medial longitudinal arch (A–C)
- Lateral longitudinal arch (B–C)
- Anterior transverse (metatarsal) arch (A–B)
Together, these 3 arches form an extremely strong, supportive “plantar vault” that distributes weight evenly throughout the entire body.
Arch Collapse
Over time, one or more of the arches will weaken due to pressure and wear and tear. This process is completely natural but injuries, a short leg, improper posture, and naturally weak ligaments and tendons can cause the collapse.
Custom-made orthotics are designed to provide the best possible support for all 3 arches:
- Individually crafted from 3D scans
- Prescribed through Chiropractors to get the best possible orthotic
- Available in a variety of styles and builds to suit your lifestyle
Custom orthotics are designed to provide support for your arches that will relieve pain now and prevent pain later by compensating for any and all of your weakened arches.
For All Occasions
Typically, overpronation and oversupination, are caused by muscle imbalances in the foot, ankle, and lower leg. Improper shoes, misalignment in the body, and other issues can cause these muscle imbalances. The chiropractor will work with the patient to find the cause of the foot problem so that can be corrected, then work to the damage or injury done.
Orthotics Help Not Only the Feet but the Whole Body
Overpronation and oversupination can cause a variety of injuries and conditions that affect not only the feet and ankles, but also the knees, hips, and back as well.
NCBI Resources
The human body is an intricate machine, and everything is connected so when something goes wrong in one area, it can cause problems in other areas. The back carries a lot of the stress in the body so when there is a problem with the hips, knees, or a foot dysfunction, the spine can bear at least some of the brunt of the pain and other effects.
Post Disclaimer
Professional Scope of Practice *
The information herein on this entire blog site is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified healthcare professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.
Blog Information & Scope Discussions
Our information scope is limited to Chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, contributing etiological viscerosomatic disturbances within clinical presentations, associated somatovisceral reflex clinical dynamics, subluxation complexes, sensitive health issues, and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions.
We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.*
Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research studies or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.
We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how they may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to discuss the subject matter above further, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, or contact us at 915-850-0900.
We are here to help you and your family.
Blessings
Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN*, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*
email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com
Licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) in Texas & New Mexico*
Texas DC License # TX5807, New Mexico DC License # NM-DC2182
Licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN*) in Florida
Florida License RN License # RN9617241 (Control No. 3558029)
Compact Status: Multi-State License: Authorized to Practice in 40 States*
Graduate with Honors: ICHS: MSN-FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner Program)
Degree Granted. Masters in Family Practice MSN Diploma (Cum Laude)
Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, MSN-FNP, RN* CIFM*, IFMCP*, ATN*, CCST
My Digital Business Card