Keeping good alignment and posture you are allowing the nervous system to maximize its potential
by Dr. Doug Portman
Pain is the driving force that brings people into my office on a daily basis. It can range from an injury to the typical “I am not sure what happened, but it really hurts”. People may suffer from neck pain, low back pain, rib pain, headaches, or extremity sprains and strains. After a careful exam, that may or may not include x-rays, we try to come up with a treatment plan to address the symptoms at hand. When I go over the findings with my patient, I will outline a treatment plan that I believe will get my patient back to being pain free. At the end of the treatment period, I may suggest a preventive treatment plan that would include keeping having a regular Chiropractic adjustment every 4 to 5 weeks.
The question that often arises upon suggestion of a preventative treatment plan is, “Why do I need to come in if I am not in pain”?
The answer is both simple and complex. The simple answer is because we are human and we put our bodies under stress each day that could cause our joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons to become inflamed. If you think of your body like a car that gets dinged up daily, eventually, the car will get out of alignment. Once the alignment has changed, the tires tend to wear out. The same thing can happen to your joints and discs. If your spine is out of alignment the joints and discs will start to wear. This in turn leads to arthritic and or degenerative changes. Once this process has started it is very difficult to reverse. At the point the discs start to wear, I sometimes see herniations appear from the weakening of the walls of the disc containing the nucleus (a jelly like substance in the middle of the disc). This can show up as low back or neck pain or if it irritates a nerve it can cause radiating symptoms down the arms or legs. Much like getting your teeth cleaned, preventative maintenance adjustments keep the joints and ligaments in the proper position. This allows full mechanical range of motion which reduces the risk of degenerative changes occurring. Just like any modality, it is also dependent on the activity level and stressors put on the body by each individual that can either increase or decrease the effectiveness of the adjustment. Exercise, rest, and a healthy diet also decrease the risk of early onset of degenerative changes.
The more complex answer to why preventative adjustments help the body is that your spine houses your nervous system which is the master controller to everything in your body. If there is any interference from the nerve fibers to and from the brain to all the muscles and organs in your body then it can begin to fail. By keeping good alignment and posture you are allowing the nervous system to maximize its potential by removing any interference in the flow to and from the brain.
Chiropractic care is a fast growing healthcare field. The benefits of treatment along with a good diet and exercise can go along way in the prevention of pain.
Please feel free to contact our office with any questions at (513) 677-6787.
Douglas R. Portmann DC, CCSP, CSCS
If you have any questions or you would like additional information please do not hesitate to call our office at 513-677-6787.
Dr. Douglas. R. Portmann DC,CCSP,CSCS Wards Corner Chiropractic and Sports Rehab 550 Wards Corner Rd. Ste. 101 Loveland Ohio 45140
