When we go to the doctor we expect relief of our pain fairly quickly because pain medication is very effective at stopping pain.
This can be very confusing and misleading when we go to a chiropractor for back pain -
Because, again - we're expecting pain relief to be coming very soon.
Why doesn't one simple, "quick crack" fix the problem?
The first several chiropractic adjustments is not as much about back pain as changing the internal environment within the body that has caused your back pain in the first place.
By "environment" we mean the many structural imbalances and neuro-chemical changes and events that have occurred in the body as a result of the original problem that is causing your back pain.
You mean to tell me now I have Two problems?
What's the original problem?
The original problem is most often a joint between two bones in the spine becoming stuck or jammed in such a way that they cannot move properly.
It's like a draw off the track...
In our body, however, this starts a sequence of nerve signals being sent between the joint and the brain which processes the information and then sends a signal on to the adrenal glands which then produces an excess of Cortisol which.... causes further jamming of that joint.
It is a joint that is not moving properly that makes you hurt and taking a pill might relieve the pain but it will not make the joint NOT be stuck or jammed.
When you try to start your lawn mower, the first few times you pull the rope is not actually to start the engine but to make the piston suck fuel into the cylinder. It is only then that you can pull the rope a little faster and the engine can start.
Likewise the first few adjustments merely gets those stuck joints moving again, but more importantly - stimulating the brain to send a signal to the adrenal glands to stop producing that cortisol which is keeping those joints from moving.
For the same reason you remember which is your driveway, your muscles and nervous system remember that a joint has been stuck and unable to move properly, and will continue to behave as though it still is, still causing excess cortisol to be made. This is because it is easier to continue doing what it has been doing as opposed to starting to just suddenly move all by itself.
Repetitive adjustments stimulate the brain and nervous system to "unlearn stuck" and reinforce proper alignment and movement.
It is only then that the joint can continue to move normally on it's own and your pain can go away.
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