Local vs Global

I must admit this is one of my favorite topics to discuss with people because it leads to so much clarity when someone begins to understand why they are feeling the way they are.

In chiropractic we talk about subluxations or stress in the nervous system and can often pin point exactly where a person is feeling pain or discomfort. This is the local area of injury. This is usually caused by some type of trauma; like a car wreck, fall on the steps, or lifting something too heavy. However there are people who show up for an evaluation with nothing in their hx that suggests any type of trauma. For these people I can still pinpoint pain or discomfort but they have no idea how it got there.

This is where the other two causes of subluxation or stress in the nervous system, come into play. Toxins and plain old every day mental stress are often the cause of a global pain pattern. Toxins don’t have to be mercury from vaccines or aluminum from your pots and pans, it can be something as simple as too much sugar and caffeine. In fact these are the two most common toxins that most people indulge in on a daily basis. Stress on the other hand has grown out of control for many families as they try to balance work, life, kids, and their commitments. Both produce changes in your brain and spinal cord resulting in patterns that seem to be much more broad in scope.

So you see when you are evaluated in this office I am looking at each aspect of this process to determine where the best place to begin care might be. As a result of this type of testing I may initiate care in area that seems unrelated to your discomfort. Please understand that this does not mean that I don’t understand where your problem is or that I am ignoring your pain but instead I am addressing the cause first. My favorite way to explain this to patients is the dog analogy. If a dog is barking and making noise and you want him to stop, you have two choices. You can either put a muzzle on him or take your foot off of his tail.

~Dr. Marry