The Dart Maker Blog

Agonizing back? Stiff neck? Persisting pain with joint movement? Many individuals would advise a visit to a chiropractor. It’s true that visiting a chiropractor is a superb way to free neck and joint pain. A trained chiropractor is capable to manipulate and restructure the vertebrae that have become misaligned due to poor posture, overuse, or prolonged strain to the area. Most patients experience recognizable relief after 1 - 3 visits.
Chiropractors recommend that patients come back, sometimes on a monthly basis to continue their treatment. Why is this? Because work done by
chiropractors provides only short-lived relief from the problem. After a few months,
the vertebrae or joints once again fall out of alignment. In order to get long-lasting relief from the pain, you have to solve the real problem. What makes vertebrae or joints to become misaligned in the first place?

When a person has inadequate posture or uses the same muscles on a regular basis, this causes certain muscles to get stronger and tighten then others. These muscles then pull at the vertebrae, bones, and joints causing misalignment. This condition of the muscles is known as a muscle imbalance. When a person sees a chiropractor, he or she does what they can to realign the vertebrae or joints. But if these muscles imbalances still exist, then it is only a matter of time before they literally pull the bones out of alignment again. This is why seeing a chiropractor only provides short-lived relief.

The only long term resolution dwells within correcting the muscle imbalances that are present. Properly working muscles should work in conjunction with one another. Contract / relax or relax / contract. If any muscle within a muscle group is in a endless state of relaxation or contraction, then a muscle imbalance takes place. In order to remedy this, the weaker muscles in the group must be strengthened. This requires proper exercising and strength training, focused specifically on the weaker muscles.

How do you know which muscles to concentrate on or what exercises to do? When it comes to the topic of exercise, a person with back, neck, joint problems must be extremely cautious. Doing the wrong kind of exercise or applying improper form can seriously hurt the body. That is why in situations like this it is important to first consult your doctor and to have a educated professional help you along your journey.

The best resolution to correct your muscle imbalances is to hire a certified personal trainer who is a corrective exercise specialist. He / She will work with you to strengthen those weak muscles and work out any knots in the tight ones. Once your muscle imbalances are corrected, the muscles will no longer pull the vertebrae and joints out of alignment - thus eradicating back or joint pain.

If you have back, neck, or joint pain, seeing a chiropractor will relieve your pain for now. But if you want long term relief, contact Total Body Solutions.