What’s Driving My Pain?

By Robert M. Cohl, DC

Neuromuscular pain always is a multi-factoral problem. Back pain is very common and occurs in all ages throughout life. “Overuse, under use, and abuse to their bodies,” is the cause, as I tell my patients.

Most people use NSIADS, acetometaphin, and Aspirin for acute and sub-acute pain, as well as potent opioids for chronic pain, but there is a biochemical cause of pain that needs to be addressed as well.

In chronic pain the nerves do not function properly. Not only do they send messages to the brain, registering pain (nocioceptive pain), they themselves become damaged.

Damaged tissues release cytokines, which are both anti-inflammatory (in acute pain) and pro-inflammatory (in chronic pain). The bad (pro-inflammatory) cytokines recycle and perpetuate chronic pain. Some common symptoms are numbness, tingling, burning, sharp, and stabbing pain. Systemic problems like fatigue always play a part.

In the Quintessential applications (QA) protocol (a 15-month post-graduate program), doctors are trained to start systemically and then work locally to the original source of pain. A careful case history probably provides the best information to begin an effective and successful treatment. Laboratory blood profiles, radiographic imaging, diet diaries and lifestyle reviews are all considered while devising a successful game plan.

Utilizing Manual Muscle Testing (MMT) can also be used as a functional neurological evaluation tool. Muscle testing is an important tool in the decision making process of what to do for a patient confronted with a number of different alternatives.

We look for “neurological deafferentation” which equals nerve damage. For example, the loss of normal joint range of motion in a sports injury prevents the transmission of correct information to the brain.

The mechancoreceptors in the joints decrease firing information to the brain about the body’s sense of its own position in space, thereby affecting proper balance throughout the body. This results in increased nociceptor transmission and produces pain.

Chiropractic manipulation increases the range of motion and frequency of normal firing and we get a decrease of pain. Subsequent rehabilitation will ensure a good outcome for that problem.

The QA process of diagnosis and treatment addresses:

Injury Recall Patterns – old injuries, sprains, strains, fractures, surgeries and scar tissue all upset the normal transmission of healthy nerve fibers. We fix them by addressing associated acupuncture points to reset and restore proper transmission.

Systemic Nutrition Factors – we test for adequate anti-inflammatory nutrition and evaluate for excess pro-inflammatory biochemical compounds with MMT, thus calming the excitatory cytokines.

Systemic Structural Factors – AK clinicians do spinal and extremity adjustments, soft tissue receptor work, cranial and foot reflex points, and acupuncture points to restore balance in the body while addressing the local and systemic problems.