CHRONIC PAIN ! PART ONE
We tend to think of pain as being something that produces discomfort at least and disability at its worst. People in chronic pain suffer much more than just pain. They can experience depression or anxiety (Prozac anyone?), sleep disturbances and abnormal decision making; all these variables can significantly decrease the quality of a person’s life. These changes can be reversible. People who have various conditions such as Alzheimer disease, depression, schizophrenia and attention deficit disorder demonstrate changes in brain function if they are in chronic pain. Chronic pain also has the unpleasant effect on the brain and spinal cord called “linear shrinkage” that causes negative feedback to the brain. Ten percent of adults suffer from severe chronic pain with 25 percent of this being back pain, and in 85% of these no definitive diagnosis is determined. A research paper published in 2011 stated that the medical treatment for these conditions is minimally effective. (Think pain killers and muscle relaxants.) The chiropractic explanation for the majority of these is abnormal spinal mechanics due to abnormal functioning of the vertebrae. This produces pain and results in dysfunction which can lead to degeneration. We call this a chiropractic subluxation complex, also called spinal dysfunction of biomechanical origin.
A paper published in 2008 reported that chronic pain causes damage to the cortical part of the brain that is not related to pain and that long term (chronic) pain alters the functional connectivity of cortical regions known to be active at rest. In a study using functional MRI, chronic pain sufferers demonstrated behavioral and cognitive impairments, i.e., they couldn’t think as well as non-chronic pain subjects. Did you ever notice that if you are in pain it becomes more difficult to focus on your tasks?
What this represents is a strong connection between spinal dysfunction, chronic pain and central nervous system changes. So more than just pain relief or prevention, chiropractic manipulation of the spine can also have great impact on how efficiently your brain functions. As I have said many times, it is vitally important to be proactive and prevent problems rather just wait for something to happen and then try to fix it.
If you haven’t been adjusted in a while, it’s time to schedule an adjustment and return to a proactive status on a regular basis. If you are scheduling on a regular basis, continue to do so; maximize spinal function and maintain normal neur-biomechanical activities.
If you have a family member, a friend or co-worker who is in pain, please give them my number or one of my cards so they can call to discuss their issues and find the help they need.
Ref: Apkarian, V., 2008, “Chronic Back Pain is Associated with Decreased Prefrontal and Thalamic
Gray Matter Density”, The J. of Neurosciences.
Bailiki, N., 2004,”Beyond Feeling: Chronic Pain Hurts the Brain, Disrupting the Default-Mode
Network Dynamics”, The J. of Neurosciences