Is Pain a Good Indicator of Health by London Chiropractor, Dr. Janna House

A lot of people come to see a London chiropractor when they’re in pain. So, what is pain and what does it mean? Let’s take a look at pain and see if it makes sense to have your spine checked when you’re not in pain.

Pain is a signal from your body to your brain that something is wrong. A lot of people measure their health by their level of pain. Pain is a warning that something in your body isn’t functioning correctly or healing properly; however, it is not a good indicator of whether or not you are healthy.

For example, cardiovascular or heart disease is the number one killer in Canada [1]. Sometimes, people, especially women, have no signs or symptoms of heart disease [2]. The first symptom of heart disease may be death. You may hear of someone who has lived pain free and thought they were healthy “suddenly” drop dead from a heart attack. Do you think that person was healthy the day before he or she died? You see, measuring your health by pain or symptoms might not be the best way.

Pain usually shows up as the last symptom after an underlying cause has existed for a long time. Pain is usually the first symptom to disappear long before the cause of an underlying issue completely resolves. This is why pain should not be used as a primary indicator of stress within the body.

The Science Behind It…

What the Research Says…

A study, published in a medical journal [3], evaluated over 88 young adults between 24-27 years old. The subjects were divided into two groups. One group had experienced neck and/or shoulder pain, the other group had not. Each subject had an MRI to evaluate their spine and intervertebral discs. These four components were assessed: disc protrusion, degeneration, annular tears and disc herniation. The findings were as follows:

In the group with no current or previous back or neck pain –

Disc Protrusion – present in 87% of subjects

Disc Degeneration – present in 73% of subjects

Disc Annular Tear – present in 63% of subjects

Disc Herniation – present in 0% of subjects

In the group with recurrent or persistent neck and/or shoulder pain –

Disc Protrusion – present in 69% of subjects

Disc Degeneration – present in 56% of subjects

Disc Annular Tear – present in 50% of subjects

Disc Herniation – present in 25% of subjects

This study concluded that symptoms do not need to be present in order to have an underlying problem.

A Little Nervous System Anatomy…

We have different types of nerves. We have nerves that control our movement (motor), nerves that receive information about what’s happening in our body and environment (sensory – touch, taste, smell, vision, hearing, position in space/balance) and nerves that automatically keep our body working, like our heart beating and lungs breathing (autonomic).

A paper written in 2000 titled, “The Neurophysics of Human Behavior,” from Furman and Gallo reported that “while the brain can process several trillions of bits of information per second, it appears that we are perhaps only consciously aware of 50 bits of information per second at any given time.” This science explains exactly why most dysfunction and disease go unfelt and undetected until the later stages of the dysfunction/disease. This finding argues against the idea that we should base our health on how we feel [4].

What This Means to You…

As quoted by Dr. Dan Sullivan, chiropractor, “The spine plays far too vital of role in the health of all body function to follow a model of health based on reacting when the body begins to fail. From heart function and digestion to immunity and reproduction, the spine directly influences the proactive health of the nervous system and serves as a vital component to optimal health that needs careful evaluation and lifelong maintenance. The pain usually manifests as a final alarm that something is terribly wrong within the body. Chiropractors believe in proactively achieving and maintaining spinal health. True health care allows the incredible power within the body to flourish and provide years to life and life to years.” [5]

Chiropractic is all about making sure your spine and nervous system function properly. As a result of better nervous system functioning, pain and other symptoms often go away. Even if you don’t have pain, it’s good to have your spine checked regularly. You are constantly being exposed to physical, chemical, and emotional traumas that affect your nervous system. Regular checks can prevent pain and other problems from occurring, and it makes sure your body is functioning as well as possible.

Chiropractic is not a treatment for anything. It is the reduction of nerve interference to allow for a greater expression of LIFE! Regardless of how you feel you’re much better off subluxation free.

Sources…

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hc-ps/dc-ma/heart-coeur-eng.php
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hdw/signs
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3535216/
http://orionthesg.livejournal.com/24302.html

This Health Myth Kills People…Learn the Truth Now!