While this pain and seizing seemed to come out of nowhere, as I dug further into their health history, it actually started long ago- at least 20 years ago! The issue with these chronic injuries is that we want a fast solution or quick fix, but we need to get to the root cause. One of my patients is in extremely good shape, but tends to aggravate his back when he does heavier lifts. The other, has always been active, and may have a long-standing injury from hockey. The last seems to wake up with the pain and has neglected his physical and mental health for years while taking care of others.

So what can cause these issues to flare up so suddenly? These pains or episodes are almost always tied to stress. For my youngest patient, physical stress at the gym and then sitting all day, loading his body statically. For my middle-aged patients, emotional stress from chasing after 2 kids, or from recently losing his job. For my eldest, years of inactivity which has led to arthritis, but more recently chemical stress from a poor diet and emotional stress from a sick wife.

Our bodies have the ability to heal from the inside and adapt to these stressors, but when they are not, we need to stop and listen. What is your body trying to tell you?

In my exams of these patients, I identified one with a significantly shorter leg, and another with a 6th lumbar vertebrae that was causing extra stress on his back with heavy lifting. These root causes are most physical in nature, but I still focused on their lifestyle and discussed other stressors (emotional, chemical). After about a month of care, none of these patients had again experienced spasms or seizing muscle pain. They experience pain, but none that is as debilitating.

Why is that? Specific chiropractic adjustments restore the movement of the spinal joints and improve communication between those nerves and the brain. When the brain is receiving adequate input from that area of the body, those larger muscle groups can relax, shifting your body out of the stressful autonomic state, 'fight or flight'. Now, if these patients pause care or notice increasing stress in their lives, these chronic issues can certainly return. However, educating my patients that they in fact have control of these stressors and their bodies, has made all the difference. After all, it all starts in the mind!