In
December 2011, the Journal of
Chiropractic Humanities published a study entitled “A theoretical basis for
maintenance spinal manipulative therapy for the chiropractic profession,” which
explored the patient benefits of chiropractic care even when there may be no
obvious symptoms.
The
author, David N. Taylor, DC, DABCN, hypothesized that manipulation of the spine
encourages normal motion, so manipulation of joints with no symptoms should
keep those joints moving in the right way and benefit the patient. He studied
the existing literature and found that lumbar (the five vertebrae between the
rib cage and pelvis) motion was restricted in people who had low back pain,
versus those who had not suffered this type of pain. Thus, he felt that
manipulation could benefit these people in the early stages of lumbar pain to
maintain motion in the spine.
In
addition, he found that osteophytes—also known as bone spurs, or bony
projections that form along joints—developed in rats when the lumbar segments
were fixated. The longer they were fixated, the greater number of osteophytes
occurred. It may surprise you to hear that these bone spurs in rats could form
in as little as four to eight weeks! This finding supports Taylor’s notion that
early intervention and maintenance care will ultimately keep the spinal joints
mobile.
As
Taylor’s study continued, he also discovered that changes occur in the nerve
after two weeks of immobilization of the foot and ankle. It follows that the
same might take place in the spine if a patient lacked motion. All of the
changes he noted in his research occurred in a matter of weeks, which points to
the need for quick intervention. His suggestion for intervention is
chiropractic maintenance care, or care even when no symptoms have presented.
At
Living Well Family Chiropractic, we strongly advocate the importance of
maintenance care. Even when your symptoms have subsided, we’ve taken x-rays,
and you can see that your spine has gotten much closer to the ideal spinal
model, it is important that you continue your chiropractic care. It will be on
a less frequent basis, of course, but it is extremely important to keep your
spinal joints moving and maintain all the hard work we’ve put in together.
Remember: you’re not Superman! The same outside forces that took your spine
from its original healthy position to the point of needing care in the first
place will still be there when the initial phases of chiropractic care are
complete.
A
good analogy is the maintenance of your teeth. You may get your teeth cleaned
by a dentist routinely, once or twice a year. But we all know that we can’t
stop brushing our teeth on a daily basis just because of this. Even if you get
sealant at the dentist, you still need to maintain good dental hygiene on your
own. The same is true of your spine, and you should think of adjustments as
spinal hygiene. Getting out of pain is most patients’ first priority,
understandably, but you shouldn’t assume that just because you’re not feeling
pain, you don’t need to continue your chiropractic care. The more time and
effort you put into keeping yourself healthy and well, the more benefits you’ll
ultimately reap!
In
all areas of life and studies, we learn that structure determines function. Why
should your spine be any different? The stronger and better positioned your
spine is, the greater level of function you will have. Keep this in mind when
pursuing spinal restoration. If having a healthy spine isn’t enough motivation
to keep you coming back for maintenance care, think of all the activities
you’ll be able to perform, pain-free, as a result of it. It will be well worth
it!
If
you’re interested in reading Taylor’s study for yourself, visit the link below:
“Working
to restore GOD’s perfect design in you!”
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