Tens of millions of
Americans suffer from chronic pain. The condition can be mild or excruciating,
episodic or continuous, merely inconvenient or totally incapacitating. Chronic
pain affects people of any age, but is most commonly associated with middle-aged
to older adults. Often referred to as the "terrible triad," chronic pain commonly
produces suffering, sleeplessness and sadness—a cycle that is extremely
debilitating for both the sufferer and his or her family. Anxiety, stress, depression,
anger and fatigue interact in complex ways with chronic pain and may decrease
the body's production of natural painkillers. |
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| How Does Chronic Pain Develop? |
The causes of chronic
pain are exceedingly diverse. Conditions accompanying aging may affect bones
and joints in ways that cause chronic pain. Diseases such as cancer, AIDS, multiple
sclerosis, stomach ulcers, gallbladder disease, and arthritis can
also be underlying causes of chronic pain. In some cases, generalized muscle
and nerve pain can develop into chronic pain. In other cases, injury can lead
to chronic pain, or patients can experience chronic pain without any obvious
physical cause.
However, we find that the majority of people suffering from chronic pain
experience this pain because of ligament weakness from degenerative diseases
like osteoarthritis,
injury, or repetitive
use damage. In compensating for the ligament weakness, other areas of
the body, including tendons and muscles, can be afflicted with referred pain. |
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| What are the Symptoms of Chronic Pain? |
Any pain that lasts
longer than six months is defined as chronic. Some common forms of chronic pain
include continuous muscle pain accompanied by cramping, soreness, swelling and
muscle spasms; headache pain, ranging from mild pain to excruciating migraines;
enduring joint pain; and lingering back pain, which may be sharp or aching. Weakness,
numbness, tingling, sleeping difficulties, lack of energy and depression often
accompany chronic pain.
Conventional medical treatments may help relieve the symptoms of chronic
pain but they do not address the root of the problem. By strengthening structural
weaknesses in the body, as natural treatments like Chiropractic and
nutritional supplements do, chronic pain may be alleviated permanently. |
| Natural vs. Modern Medicine's Approach to Chronic Pain |
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| Modern Medicine’s Approach to Chronic
Pain |
Modern medicine continues
to search for drugs, devices, and surgical procedures to eliminate chronic pain.
Anti-inflammatory drugs have become a billion dollar business. While the drugs
may provide temporary relief, they do nothing to correct the underlying condition
causing the pain. In fact, in the end, these medications do more damage than
good.
Another common pain treatment is a cortisone shot. It is also one of the quickest
ways to lose strength at the ligament-bone (fibro-osseous) junction. Cortisone
and other steroid shots have adverse affects on bone, cartilage, and soft tissue
healing. Unfortunately, many people suffering from chronic pain look for quick
relief without thinking about the long-term, potentially harmful side effects
that could occur. The problem with cortisone is that, although immediate pain
relief is possible, it inhibits nearly every aspect of healing, making the pain
condition even worse!
In simple terms, anti-inflammatory drugs and cortisone shots are anti-healing.
They result in long-term loss of function and pain that is even more chronic
by actually inhibiting the healing process of soft tissues and accelerating cartilage
degeneration. In addition, long-term use of these drugs can lead to other sources
of chronic pain, allergies, leaky gut syndrome, and other serious side effects.
Finally, when all else fails, patients who experience chronic pain, particularly
joint and back pain, are referred to a surgeon. Unfortunately, surgery usually
makes the problem even worse. Surgeons will use x-ray technology as a diagnostic
tool, which does not always properly diagnose the pain source. In addition, decisions
to remove cartilage tissue, bone or a disc will most commonly result in arthritis.
Therefore, the treatment of one pain condition simply leads to another. |
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| The Natural Approach to Chronic Pain |
A better approach to
alleviating chronic pain (forever!) is to stimulate soft tissue, ligament, and
cartilage repair with Chiropractic adjustments. Most people have chronic pain
because of ligament weakness and cartilage deterioration. |
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- A ligament is damaged through overuse or trauma, such as a sports injury
or an accident.
- Because of the ligament's poor blood supply, it does not heal (unlike muscles,
which have a good blood supply and heal quite easily).
- Over time, the injured ligament weakens, like a stretched rubber band that
has lost its elasticity.
- Since ligaments function as joint stabilizers, the injured ligament is no
longer capable of doing its job.
- As a result, the muscles must compensate. They begin to ache and spasm and,
eventually, the joint or vertebra in the area begins to compensate as well.
- Overgrowth of bone occurs to help stabilize the injured ligament, which leads
to arthritis, and a whole new level of pain and disability.
This downward spiral of pain can be halted and reversed only by stimulating
healing at the source—the ligament.
Chiropractic is
a safe and natural approach in the treatment of repairing tendon, ligament and
cartilage damage. Chiropractic stimulates the body’s ability to heal itself,
repairing painful areas. |
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Recommended Services: Chiropractic
Care, Massage Therapy, Physical
Therapy, Rehabilitative Therapies, Living
Well for Life, Auricular Therapy
If you are interested
in more information about natural treatments or to schedule an appointment at
one of our three convenient locations, please contact Central Health and Wellness
at 972-671-5263 or use the online Inquiry Form
Disclaimer:
The preceding is to provide information about relief and the benefits
that may be derived. It is not intended to claim a cure for any disease or condition.
It should not take the place of your doctor’s advice or treatment.
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