Dr. Margret Holland April 2008

Dr. Margaret Holland, Naturopathic Physician

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Chronic Pain and Malalignment

By Dr. Margret Holland, B.Sc., N.D.

Many of us have suffered from pain of either an acute (short-term, self-limiting) or chronic (long-term) nature.

This pain may be described as a dull ache, burning, stabbing, shooting or throbbing. It may be better or worse with pressure. It may improve with hot or cold applications, rest or exercise. Whatever the qualities it almost invariably affects the quality of life of the sufferer.

Acute pain may be relieved with some deep-tissue massage to release a muscle spasm. The muscle spasm is usually the result of some particular activity, be it golfing, running, swimming or painting the walls. Chronic pain results when the muscle spasm was not treated properly and the body forms scar tissue within the injured muscle.

What many are unaware of is the initial cause of the spasm: malalignment or improper alignment of a joint or joints. The most commonly malaligned joint is the sacral and pelvic area. This area is similar to the foundation of a house with the spine being the building blocks and the hips and shoulders equating to the walls and roof. Imagine a house built on a weak foundation. Eventually the supporting walls crack and move, resulting in further alignment problems with the roof, doors and windows.

Consider a chronic pain in the neck (no, not your spouse). This pain was often preceded by some injury or pain in the low back or hip area resulting in malalignment. This original pain may no longer be present so the presumption is that the injury has healed. Not so, what has in fact happened is that scar tissue has developed in the area of the original injury (pelvis and/or sacrum) and as such the inflammatory aspect of the pain has resolved. The point is that the poorly aligned joint has not been properly addressed resulting in a lop-sided carriage of the body. This places unnatural stresses on the other joints in the body resulting in aches and pains elsewhere. Curvature of the spine, rotation of the vertebra, knee pain, shoulder pain, wrist pain and further muscle spasms are not uncommon sequelae of malalignment, not to mention the pain from pinched nerves. Sciatica, numbness of feet and/or hands, headaches, tinnitus and reduced strength may be a further complication of this condition.

The most effective method of treating joint pains anywhere in the body is to address the pelvis, sacrum and spinal alignment with deep-tissue massage AND to incorporate some form of technique to break down scar tissue. My patients undergo just such a treatment protocol which involves massage, realignment, acupuncture and far-infrared therapy all in one session of 45 – 60 minutes. The results are impressive often with immediate effects. This therapy has been used to offer relief to patients suffering from chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, sciatica, tendonitis and knee pain.

For a consult regarding your pain please call me at 752-2732.

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