Pain is a very personal experience. It is often difficult for people to put their pain experience in words because the pain affects them in so many ways. Regardless, the first and foremost thing we must do is try to identify the source of the pain. Sometimes this is straightforward, such as a herniated disc clearly visible on MRI, sometimes it is not, like chronic pain that started years prior from seemingly nothing at all.
Once the source of the pain is identified, we can plan a course of action. While certainly medications have their place, we must remember that pills do not correct the cause of the pain, rather they mask it. Instead, we want to identify and address the root cause of pain.
Pain usually starts with an injury. Now, an injury may or may not be painful when it occurs. Sometimes, it takes a day or two before the pain comes, and by then you may have forgotten what happened. When an injury occurs, some of the cells that make up the injured tissue rupture and release chemicals that increase blood flow and cause swelling to occur. Take a bruise, for example. Bruises occur when a blood vessel is ruptured and blood leaks out into the surrounding tissue. Swelling distorts the tissue and increases pressure, which irritates local nerves. The nerve irritation is what causes pain. The cycle of pain and inflammation will continue until the tissue is healed.
At our office, we attempt to address the root cause with several interventions that work best when used together. C.A.N.E. is an acronym we use for Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Nutrition, and therapeutic Exercises individually designed to hit pain at the source and put you on the path to true recovery.
As you can see, the treatments we use affect the cycle of pain and inflammation at multiple points to interrupt it and allow your body to heal the best it possibly can. Without targeted interventions such as these, the body may lay down scar tissue with a loose collection of free nerve endings that typically result in the development of chronic, dull, achy pain. This type of pain is much harder to eliminate.
One of the most common questions we get about treatment is, “How long will it take for me to get better?” Most conditions respond very well within 2-4 weeks if we catch them right away. However, we have to remember that healing is a process, and what we do here is attempt to remove barriers to promote healthy healing. Every situation is unique, and we try very hard to reduce healing time and get you back to normal as quickly as possible.
Why live with pain when there are non-drug, non-surgical pain relief and healing options open to you? Call us today to see if C.A.N.E can help your condition!