Do you suffer from spinal or arm/leg pain? Do you find yourself not able to move like you used to or seem to be more clumsy? Are you feeling overwhelmed with stress? Maybe you don’t have any issues and you’re looking for a way to keep yourself functioning at your highest level? Chiropractic adjustments are a cost effective, evidence-based, low-risk way to optimize your health, prevent future injury, and maximize your quality of life.
It is common for people to seek out chiropractic care because they are having aches and pains, and an adjustment can certainly help with that! However, the true goal of the adjustment is to restore the proper function of the nervous system by improving the motion within the joints and surrounding tissues of the spine. Collectively, this group of joints and tissues is called a “motion unit.”
Dysfunction within the motion units can wreak havoc on the body. Because these motion units affect the nerves, and thus the nerve signaling from the brain to all areas of the body, you can see a breakdown of communication between what your brain is telling your body to do, and what it is actually doing. Some common symptoms we see that result from dysfunctional motor units include:
Decreased range of motion
Pain
Decreased blood flow
Balance issues
Increased inflammation
Stress
Tight and tender muscles
Degeneration within joints (arthritis)
Motor control issues
Decreased strength
Decreased sleep quality
Increased risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease, hypertension and obesity due to increases in chronic stress
So what causes this? While a dysfunctional motor unit can be caused by a variety of things, the two main culprits are repetitive strain/microtrauma to the area, and a sedentary lifestyle. Think working bent over all day or sitting at a desk or being on the phone all the time-something we all do too much of! Other causes may include sports injuries or getting in a fender bender. So this can be something that happens over time, or in an instant.
Now, you may be wondering how we are able to identify a problem area. There are several ways of identifying dysfunction within the motion units, such as looking at areas of pain or sensitivity. However, one of the most important indicators is decreased motion at the joint. The reason we focus on decreased motion is because this can persist within the joints with or without pain. If we focused only on pain, we could be missing important clues into the bigger picture of your health.
So, what does this all mean for you? The good news is we are here to help! Chiropractic adjustments help by restoring full range of motion thereby sending the correct input signals to the brain, decreasing hypersensitive pain thresholds, and increasing blood flow and nutrients to the area. This is going to allow your body to heal properly and more quickly, increase your strength, balance, and coordination, improve the communication of the nervous system, and help prevent further degeneration. These are improvements and changes that are only seen with adjustments. While some other therapies like soft tissue massage and exercise may seem to decrease some of your symptoms, they are not treating the cause of the issue! However, these treatments tend to work great alongside Chiropractic care to speed up the healing process and improve patients outcomes.
Here at Sycamore Integrated Health we provide all three and much more! Something important to keep in mind when you begin your Chiropractic journey to a better, healthier you is that this process takes TIME. You didn't develop your issues in a single day so the same concept applies to treatment and the healing process. Early intervention and regular Chiropractic care are your best bet to maximize your musculoskeletal health and your daily function. You wouldn’t wait to go to the dentist until after you have a cavity, so it is important to be proactive and get adjusted on a regular basis
. There are plenty of things you can do outside the office as well. Healthy lifestyle habits like maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, and keeping a positive outlook on life will also help keep your body moving well. So come in today and get adjusted! Your future self will thank you!
