Chronic Pain Relief through Chiropractic Care
Tigard and Portland Area Chiropractor
Pain is a useful crisis messaging system for the body. It is a message that something is wrong, at a volume that cannot be easily ignored. It exists to protect the body, encouraging protective action to prevent further injury. The network that carries these messages is the nervous system, from the peripheral nerves to the spine, and then to the brain.
While pain is a useful tool to keep us healthy and to minimize injuries, it can also get out of control and continue long after its purpose has been served. Chiropractic treatment is useful in reducing or eliminating many kinds of pain, and may be most effective with chronic pain.
Acute v. Chronic Pain
Acute pain occurs suddenly, in response to an injury or unhealthy change in physical function. Pain from running into a doorway, for example, is acute pain. Chronic pain may have started suddenly, but persists long after. Many accidents and disease processes, for example, result in pain that lingers long after the event that triggered it. Chronic pain is a complex entity, as the longer we feel a particular pain, the more our bodies and brains change to accommodate it. It’s as if chronic pain creates grooves in brain function that complicate attempts to reduce or stop it. Chronic pain, in some cases, can become a habit, one that’s very difficult to break.
The Role of Chiropractic in Chronic Pain Management
Chiropractic is particularly effective in the treatment of chronic pain that results from nervous system irritation, injury or damage due to its action on the nerve roots. Moreover, chiropractic is effective in reestablishing normal function of muscles, joints and the vascular system, helping to eliminate the root causes of chronic pain.
Dr. Beebe is trained in a number of other therapies that are useful in the treatment of chronic pain. These include trigger point therapy and massage. He is also trained in the use of nutritional supplements, and may prescribe a regimen of vitamins, minerals and other supplements to strengthen the overall treatment.
Trigger point therapy, in particular, is often quite helpful in mediating pain. A “trigger point” is a hyper-irritable point in muscles that are associated with tight bands of muscle fibers. Manipulation of the point will, at first, replicate the patient’s pattern of pain, but on continued manipulation the pain will be reduced and even resolved.
Taken together, chiropractic and related therapies are among the most effective treatments for pain. Chiropractic offers the additional advantage of a low risk profile, with no drug side effects. Chronic pain sufferers, no matter the source, may find chiropractic just the right therapy for long term pain management, and perhaps even the elimination of pain.
Call Beebe Chiropractic today at 503.620.1280
to schedule your initial consultation!
