“I’m just getting old.” This is a statement I hear every day from new patients, as they present for various pain syndromes. Most of these patients are younger than me, and I let them know that their not old, since I’m not old! If their chief complaint is shoulder pain, I’ll remind them that their symptomatic shoulder is just as old as the other one. Pain is usually your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. Like a warning light on your car’s dashboard. Don’t ignore pain. If you do the 2 biggest issues that could happen is: 1) the pain gets worse resulting in greater injury or damage to your body; or 2) you get used to , or adapt to the pain, even though the underlying cause is still present. They are both not good outcomes in the management of pain and the quality of your life.
So what do you do if you have an injury, resulting in pain? When it comes to the musculoskeletal system, you cannot have pain without inflammation. If you injure/sprain your ankle, it swells up and it becomes obvious that there is inflammation and injury. When spinal joints get injured, they also get inflamed, but due to their location, it may not visible, because they are small and deep below the skin level.
When you are experiencing pain or inflammation, especially at a joint, the safest and most effective self-care strategy is to ice. Ice has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties with none of the side-effects of NSAIDs. During the first 24 hours after an injury it is best to ice for 15 minute on, and then take the ice off for 15 minutes, then repeat, as much as possible. After 24 hours it is best to ice 20 minutes on, then 1 hour off before icing again.
If you put an ice pack directly on the skin, you can freeze the skin. You should always put something damp between the ice pack and the skin. I find a damp paper towel works best. Between icing, the more painless range of motion you can perform at the injured area the better. The key is painless motion!
Why not heat? Heat always feels good, but when applied to an inflamed joint, will increase the inflammation, so afterwards you will may feel worse, and prolong the healing response. The only time I recommend heat is the day after strenuous activity. If you wake up feeling like you have used muscles you have not used in a long time, heat may be appropriate. This applies only if there is soreness in a muscle, not at a joint. Heat, when applied, should be moist and is best applied like ice- 20 minutes on, then off for one hour before repeating.
5 dangerous words are “maybe it will go away.” If in doubt, call your chiropractor, immediately to get it checked. The faster you get diagnosed and treated, the faster you will get well, decreasing the risk of long-term consequence. The correct diagnosis will drive the appropriate treatment. Yes, we are all aging, but you don’t have to “grow old”.
Stay active and get into the habit of regular chiropractic check-ups. It is easier to stay healthy then to get healthy. Regular chiropractic office visits will allow you to tell your chiropractor about new “minor” aches and concerns, that you would typically not call and make a special appointment for. Catching and fixing these minor issues, will decrease the risk of them becoming bigger issues. Preventative, or Wellness Chiropractic Care keeps your joints, muscles and nerves at their optimum potential, so you can participate in all the activities you enjoy doing for as long as you want to!
For more information please contact me at:
In Health,
Brad Weiss, D.C.