Chronic (or Recurring) Back/Neck Pain Explained: Waiting is a Slippery Slope

Chronic or recurring spinal pain might make you feel like you must get “used to” the familiarity of it, and still continue to go through your daily motions without seeking treatment or diagnosis. As long as you can somewhat manage it with over-the-counter pills or stretches that temporarily alleviate your pain, it becomes all too easy to view spinal pain management a part of your regular routine rather than as an urgent matter to take care of as soon as possible. However, we would like to use this opportunity to bring up how recurring pain is not just something to sweep under the rug and think, “It will go away eventually.” Think of persistent pain as your body’s check engine light. Choosing to ignore the pain does not make it go away forever, it just makes your future healthcare intervention more expensive in the long run…both financially and health-wise. 

Chronic Pain Explained
Chronic pain is an affliction that many people experience. Acute pain is an urgent way to notify your brain and body that something is wrong or injured. An “alarm system” if you will. The pain is sending a message that something needs to be done to revert your body back to its normal condition. Once your pain has advanced to the chronic stage, it has outlived its helpfulness. The “alarm” continues to go off, even though its original activation has long passed.  

In the context of recurring back or neck pain, this is a signal that there is an internal abnormality in the spine that is not being healed ideally. At this point, it is more than just typical tightness or soreness. Rather, the returning pain indicates some form of inner dysfunction that the nervous system adapts to and defaults to as its “norm”. 

The Cycle You Need to Break 

To better illustrate what is actually going on when chronic or recurring pain is disregarded, here is a breakdown of what is actually happening during this continual cycle. 

1.) Primary Impact/Injury: Many types of events can be catalysts for a cycle of recurring spinal pain. Muscular imbalances, old injuries, or even just the repetitive strain of poor posture can cause areas of dysfunction.

2.) Patterns of Abnormal Compensation: To make up for the malfunctioning area’s lack of exertion, your brain will automatically engage the surrounding muscles and joints to attempt to protect the primarily affected area. This may show up as unnaturally shifting your body weight or altering your posture. This happens inadvertently so it becomes very difficult to intentionally prevent or control. 

3.) Loss of Functionality: Because of the lasting overcompensation in the surrounding areas, the injured spot will weaken over time and lose stability due to lack of use and conditioning. This also results in pain and fatigue that extends to the compensating muscles/joints.

4.) Alteration of Normal Nervous Function: After a while, your brain will become overly sensitive to pain signals coming from the chronic pain location. Even minor strains from the area elicit a complete pain response from the brain. Even if the pain is at a level that you can subjectively handle, the pain ITSELF develops into an issue within the body. 

Every time this cycle repeats, it digs an even deeper hole for the injury and makes the next pain event even more stubborn and challenging to fully resolve. Your intermittent neck soreness can create a condition that advances to recurrent migraines. Periodic low back aches can progress into chronic issues like sciatica or hip joint degeneration.  

Why Your Body Needs Help Breaking the Cycle

Chiropractors often hear patients say that they believed their pain would resolve by itself. However, the problem with structural injuries is that spinal structures will more than likely stay misaligned and thus accelerate dysfunctional movement patterns, not self-improve. The problem AND the solution revolve around the fact that the nervous system and spinal column are extremely adaptable. Without true intervention, they will adapt to accommodate dysfunctional conditions. But WITH correctly applied care, they can adapt back towards healthy conditions and get rid of that nagging pain for good. Regarding treatment, it is important to consider the integrative approach to healthcare. Recovery from chronic spinal pain requires commitment and patience. For lasting results, the following interventions can help to address and conquer the pain pattern:

- Chiropractic Adjustments: Lubricates joints and promotes healthy joint movement, disrupts the pain cycle to reset nerve dysfunction. 

- Soft Tissue Therapy (such as Active Release Techniques): Manually breaks down the scar tissue and physical obstructions that may create painful compensation patterns in the first place.

- Corrective Exercise: Rebuilds muscles for stabilization that have been dormant and weakened. This works to reconstruct a strong foundation that will maintain lasting alignment in your spine and the surrounding areas.

- Posture Correction and Workspace Optimization: Reduces the probability of re-triggering the problem, and encourages adaptation back to healthy conditions.

- Nutritional Supplements and Diet Alteration: Can help decrease the body’s inflammation systemically, and in turn eliminate or reduce chronic pain.

- Stress Management Techniques: Minimal stress on the nervous system can keep it regulated, reducing exacerbation and calming the mind and body.

If Your Body is Talking to You, You Should Listen

That recurring or chronic ache in your spine is critical health information being communicated between your brain and your body. It is a warning sign to prevent more serious or permanent changes from occurring. The good thing about this is that the negative chronic pain pattern can be disrupted with intervention and altered for the better. Even though it is more effective to get healthcare treatment earlier in the chronic/recurring pain process, it is never too late to seek out help. The body has an enormous capacity to self-heal when placed in the proper conditions. If you are feeling like it’s time to break your cycle, schedule a consultation with us as soon as possible. We will be more than happy to diagnose you and create a personalized plan based on your unique compensation pattern. Your future self will thank you!