“But I Didn’t Do Anything”
How could the simple task of bending over to tie your shoes cause pain down the back of your leg? How could reaching for your bag cause your spine to lock up? How could looking over your shoulder to check your blind spot make your neck spasm up?
We hear this all the time.
With the exception of a recent trauma, many of the health problems we see are the result of circumstances that have been around for months or even years. After the incident, there may have been some initial soreness.
But the body had the capacity to adapt, and the pain went away. Problem fixed.
Or was it?
True, your body is self-healing. But like many “DIY projects,” the attempts can be less than elegant. Plus, the scar tissue that develops, lays in a haphazard manner. If this tissue is not taken through full ranges of motion (like whilst getting adjusted and/or with rehabilitation exercises) during repairing, it becomes a poorer quality tissue that tends to be more fibrous and less flexible. This produces a weakened joint that is prone to future injury.
In this way, many spinal problems resemble cancer, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and countless other “lifestyle” diseases. These health problems are usually present for years, quietly worsening in the background, before symptoms become obvious. And then all it takes is the littlest things to set it off. Like reaching over to pick up a pencil.
So get adjusted regularly to correct joint motion and prevent haphazard scar tissue and those “but I didn’t do anything” injuries.