Chiropractic physicians are familiar with back pain and are one of the most trusted healthcare providers dedicated to doing so. Back pain can have many causes but one constant related to back pain is movement. Movement of the skeletal and muscular structures through manipulation of the joints, soft tissues with the addition of exercises is the secret formula for how great chiropractors and chiropractic sports medicine doc’s great results. The 5 letters alluded to in the title is FASCIA. What does fascia make your back ache? Years ago, fascia was the stuff that got in the way during anatomy lab dissections of dead tissue. We were taught to name and memorize each muscles origin and insertion for the test. 40 years later, we understand that fascia determines movement, has its own blood supply and nerve supply and that muscles do nothing without the fascia. Poor adaptations to the fascial lines will cause more poor adaptations resulting in common problems such as back pain, leg pain, knee pain, foot pain, shoulder pain and even neck pain. Your core is not an area in the middle of the body where power comes from. On the other hand, the fascial lines as seen partially in these illustrations are likely more like the way forces are transmitted in the body from the ground up. The better is works, the more power you can produce and the less likely you are to have back pain and many of the other common problems related to back pain such as knee pain, foot pain, plantar fasciitis, etc. On great history and exam can often uncover the reasons you ache. You don’t need a team of specialists; you need a sports chiropractor who does primary care of the musculoskeletal system. This keeps things simple. Common reasons your back aches from fascia Tight fascia reduces flexibility and makes movement less efficient Fascia continuously molds and affects how we move, adapt and function. There is even a third circulatory system now being understood to be important in how fluids other than blood and lymph move in the body. Asymmetrical body types are more likely to adapt with fascia that is less flexible inhibiting efficient mobility. Asymmetry increases ground impact and over time, the lack of movement results in shear in the spine, inhibits shoulder mobility and can result in neck problems, headaches and even vertigo because tight fascial lines affect how we hold our heads. As a young doctor learning methods such as friction massage for tendons, Active Release Techniques, a style of myofascial release was a game changer for me. I was resolving many problems people had faster and as authors such as Myers with Anatomy Trains, and were accepted into our knowledge of mobility and motion, those who understood the affect of fascia could help those suffering from multiple problems that were often a symptom of fascial system and musculoskeletal dysfunction years later. The arthritis model of taking pills over time is harmful to you and your future x-rays as well as your wallet. Millions of people have hip, knee and other joint replacements yearly which is stressful, time consuming and often preventable if we do not ignore those of us who are having problems when we are young and going through our growth spurts. This image shows arthritis but is a history of malfunction resulting in this x-ray. Patients like this visit all the time and feel improved with chiropractic care. Better yet, starting younger may prevent x-rays like this when you are older. In the medical system, the abundance of specialties pass people around with symptoms until they fit a category which is often harmful as their problems are unresolved and become more chronic over time. The patient has no idea their doctors have no idea. They often will be offered an X-ray in urgent care or an MRI which may shoe arthritis which is likely just a history of malfunction years later. While these problems will worsen over time, We can, by addressing the fascia, movement and fitness, resolve the problems years early if we do not ignore our child’s sore shins and ankles. Watching someone in the park walk and lean side to side is interesting and a learned behavior. It is also going to cause problems later on. For years, another surgery, another joint replacement, another anti inflammatory has been shown to be of poor evidence for helping back problems related to gait. If these patients see chiropractors first, they can often avoid the unnecessary tests, procedures, injections, etc. The recognition fascia now has in the media is good for you and how your back feels. Recently, the magazine GQ published an article on fascia and they mentioned the basics the basics hydration, movement, sleep, nutrition You can read the rest of the article below Why Fascia May Be the Key to Alleviating Your Back Pain Why doesn’t chiropractic primary care get recognized by medical primary care most often when they are most likely to get the job of relief done sooner and with less risk. Chiropractic primary care in our office started with a great thorough history and an active evaluation where both the doctor and the patient see the findings as the exam progresses. The chiropractic solutions are often simple, involve treat test treat protocols to show effectiveness and add consistency to treatment plans that are unique for the patient based on their findings. We test less because we know more from a great exam and from treat-test-treat. So many medical procedures to knees, hips, backs and shoulders have done more harm than good as the studies have shown over time. Patients have restricted shoulder mobility from impingement surgeries that could not possibly work if they only understood what chiropractors knew; shoulder impingement is a posture issue often beginning in the feet. My book, Cheating Mother Nature, what you need to know to beat chronic pain is still relevant today as it speaks to how things actually do work and we are learning more daily about how fascial dysfunction causes movement dysfunction and results in pain. How to get the relief of pain by finding the cause. I am a perpetual student. If you have multiple problems, our approach always is to figure out the commonality in their problems and improve how they move, feel and function. Then strengthening and retraining those areas can help them avoid years of future suffering we see today. The good news is most people do not need an MRI, or other advanced surgery. Often chronic problems do take time and this is often referred to a slow healthcare. Since a problem that existed for years can take a short while to resolve, you can avoid risk by avoiding risky procedures. If you require an orthopedic or other medical specialty, we will send you to someone we know and trust. Keep it simple, think chiropractic first. Call either of our offices today to schedule your first appointment.