Dr. Margret Holland April 2009
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Chronic Pain
By Dr. Margret Holland, B.Sc., N.D.
Chronic pain is a common complaint, affecting the elderly, middle aged and young indiscriminately.
Arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, carpal tunnel and joint pain can often be treated quite effectively with acupuncture.
In my practice I have seen numerous patients who are not only on pain meds but anti-depressants as well. Depression is not an uncommon response to long-term pain. Resolve the pain and the world can become a much brighter place.
The etiology of pain is often misunderstood. It may be the result of a nerve impingement from a poorly aligned spine; or of poor elimination of the debris that is released by the cells of the body as they go about their day-to-day business; it may even be due to poor assimilation of nutrients from the diet. All of these lead to premature aging of the joints, nerves and soft tissue of the body. Often pain is a combination of any or all of these factors, but what is undisputed fact, is that as the situation becomes chronic (i.e. of more than several months duration) the body will sclerose or scar as a result of the untreated cause.
Much of my practice involves removing scar tissue and increasing blood flow to affected areas. A poorly aligned spine can have far reaching implications as all the nerves of the spinal cord exit to the various organs and muscles of the body via spaces between the vertebrae. A nerve impingement may not always express as a pain, it may instead affect the proper function of the various organs of the body: heart, stomach, intestine or liver as examples.
As for joint pain, if it is affecting only one side of the body it is most likely the result of poor alignment. The problem may be corrected by realigning the spine and or affected joints. If the condition has been present for more than several months, the body will have developed scar tissue to compensate for joint instability. Failure to address the scarring of the soft-tissue will result in a rapid return of symptoms. Scar tissue can act like a thick elastic band and thus cause the joint to be pulled back out of alignment with relative ease.
It is important when treating pain to address all factors that may be present. Relax muscle spasm, gently realign the spine and break down scar tissue. A treatment that addresses all of these factors at once will have the greater degree of success.
Dr. Holland can be reached at (250) 752-2732 or #3-702 Memorial Avenue, PO Box 564, Qualicum Beach, BC. V9K 1T1.
For a consultation, please call me at 752-2732.