Chiropractor in Hurst TX Explains Why You Shouldn't Use Pain As a Healing Indicator

Although it can happen at any age, low back pain in Hurst TX is often considered a middle-aged problem. We see lots of patients in their 40s and 50s and you may be like many of them, wondering what triggered the pain. Was it bending over to pick up that box or making the bed or doing some yardwork? Perhaps you've always been able to do these things without any problems, but now things are different.

If your back has previously felt strong and now seems weak, you probably want to know what has changed. You may be looking for that one thing that made everything go downhill. Most patients don't recall a specific event that caused things to go downhill or for that matter, their pain.

Many back problems begin during our teenage years. Whether it's from playing competitive sports, lifting things, or just goofing off we face many injuries when we are young. Most of them are considered 'minor' and we typically shake off the bumps and bruises with little thought to future consequences.

Research using MRI technology has given us a better understanding of these consequences. Studies have found that these 'minor injuries' are responsible for the earliest signs of degenerative changes in the discs and joints of the spine.

Many people, including some doctors, focus on pain as the signal of whether an injury is present or not. This leads to the belief that once the pain is gone, the injury has properly healed. But it's not that simple.

You can think of it like a paper cut on your finger. Initially, the paper cut will cause some level of pain. After a few hours or the next day, the pain often subsides. When you look at pain as the only healing indicator many people would say their finger has healed properly. However, if you took the bandage off your finger you would see that the skin is still separated from where the paper sliced your finger. With that evidence brought to light, these same people would now say their paper cut has not healed fully even though there is no pain.

The same healing process happens in our spine, except we can't see it! No matter what caused the back pain, once the pain goes away our bodies are still healing. Ligaments may have minor tears or have been stretched. Muscles may have been strained causing the muscle fibers to not be aligned properly. Joints may not be moving properly or out of their proper position. These structural problems aren't 'good as new' because the pain is gone.

Our bodies were created with the ability to heal without any assistance from doctors or medications. This natural healing process is slowed and often interrupted by the repetitive stress and trauma that our bodies endure daily. While our body's inborn healing ability is the best doctor, sometimes it needs the help of Advanced Chiropractic Methods to speed recovery and to ensure that healing is completed.

It's important to get checked after a trauma. Don't rely on the absence of pain as a healing indicator. Properly diagnosing the extent of the injury is the first step to a speedy and complete recovery.

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