Contrary to popular belief your back does not usually just “go out”. Like one moment its fine and the next there is a problem.  While it is possible for a traumatic injury to cause a subluxation (bone out of place) which then needs correction with chiropractic care the normal route is much more subtle.

Have you ever noticed that you and people you know well have certain spots in the neck or back that you consider your trouble spots? Maybe it’s the neck being tight causing headaches, or maybe a lower back that’s always “going out” on you and causing pain. Regardless of the area the underlying cause of these problems is not a mysterious “going out” of the back. Rather, it is the accumulation of small repetitive stresses on the spine through posture, repetitive movements at work or home and repetitive postures such as sitting at a desk or driving a car.

Here’s the key

It builds up slowly.  Let’s say you start a new job. Suddenly you are required to sit for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. In addition you are on the phone most of the time and have your neck tilted to hold the phone on your shoulder several hours a day.  Within a few weeks you develop lower back pain and occasional headaches that were not a common occurrence prior to taking the job.

Notice how the problem did not start on Day 1 at the new job. It took time to build up. This is the case in most of the people I help treat.  Something they do regularly slowly caused the bones in the areas being stressed to slowly get out of place. As this progressed the connective tissue surrounding the joint becomes irritated from the stress of the bone being out of alignment. Eventually it is out far enough that the nerve is irritated as well and the muscle tightens up.

Once the nerve is irritated and the muscle is guarding the area, which the body perceives as an injury, this is when the gateway opens to real problems. Chronic pain develops. Joints being to wear out. Disc injury becomes more of a possibility over time.  It’s a slow process that wears down the body and the only way to correct the issue is chiropractic care.

This misalignment of joints is the primary cause of countless cases of headaches, backaches, sciatica, shoulder problems, numbness in hands and feet and so many more.  It can even cause low energy, weakened immune system function and problems with digestion and many other things because the nerves exiting the spine don’t just go the muscles. They go to the organs as well.

The Take Away Point

This is the reason chiropractic care is so important.  It’s not all about pain relief. It’s about addressing something while it’s still a small problem and preventing it from becoming a big problem. Or in some cases, taking care of a big problem and then making sure it never comes back.  If your reading this and its be a while since your last adjustment or worse yet, if you have never been adjusted pick up your phone, fire up your computer, do whatever you need to do but get and see your chiropractor and start back on the path to living as health a life as possible.