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Structural Damage

Not working the way it used to 

Damage to the body can occur in a variety of ways: accidental injuries, falls, sport injuries, repetitive strain or overuse. Other forms of trauma can all lead to misalignment of the joints, muscles, nerves, organs and the spine. This form of stress on the body often requires immediate attention especially because of the associated pain and immobility from the injury. Causes of an injury may often be obvious, although there are cases where the source of the structural damage is less visible.

Repetitive movements can gradually wear down your body and cause micro-trauma. This form of injury tends to occur slowly. Usually the individual becomes accustomed to the discomfort or has learned to ignore the changes until the effects are finally painful enough to seek out treatment. Continuous wear and tear to muscles, tendons and ligaments over time can lead to compensation from the surrounding structures. Poor posture, bad sleeping habits, improper lifting or carrying of heavy loads, inferior workstation habits or design and exercise are only a few of the many causes of chronic tension and structural damage.

Chemical and emotional causes can also affect the body. Poor diet, drugs, alcohol and chemical toxins in the food, air or water can decrease the body’s ability to function and adapt to stressors. Inadequate stress management affects physical health and decreases immune function. The combination of these factors makes the body more susceptible to injury and disease.

Poor sleeping habits are one of the most common causes of misalignment, especially to the spine. Sleeping on your stomach or with too many pillows, places continual stress on the cervical spine and causes a shift of the vertebrae. Serious illness and disability may result as many important nerves that supply the entire body travel through the cervical spine.

The causes of stress to the body may vary but the results are largely the same: gradual displacement of the joint or vertebrae resulting in dysfunction to the body. Pain, tenderness, stiffness, decreased mobility, numbness or tingling are merely a few symptoms of structural damage to the body. Massage therapy can help relieve muscle spasms and tight muscles that cause pain and pull joints or vertebrae out of place. Chiropractors and Naturopathic Doctors can remove subluxations and misalignments of the spine, however if the pain persists and you need ongoing treatment then the problem may be from nerves, muscles, tendons or ligament damage. Alternative therapies such as prolotherapy (for tendons and ligaments), Neural treatment (for nerves), Trigger Point Injection (for muscles) and Platelet Rich Plasma (tendons, ligaments and joints) may need to be considered in order to repair the damage.

 

References:

  1. http://www.demosschiropractic.com/vertebral-subluxation.cfm
  2. http://www.desitwist.com/general-knowledge/poor-sleeping-posture-may-cause-spinal-misalignment-18496.html
  3. http://www.dcdoctor.com/pages/rightpages_allaboutchiro/subluxations.html