Individuals with persistent pain often limit their movement. Activities that bring joy, such as gardening, playing with children or grandchildren, or walking are avoided due to pain or discomfort the following day. These pains typically arise from repetitive movement ‘grooves’ that individuals develop over time. Without variety, these grooves deepen but remain narrow, potentially overloading certain tissues while simultaneously underloading others.

For instance, an individual with knee pain may primarily load their quads and knee joints when using their lower body. Without variation, this can lead to muscle atrophy in the glutes due to a lack of loading of these tissues. Over time and without change, this can result in increased load through the lower back and spine, causing additional back pain. A goal for this patient would be to increase load sharing through the hips, thereby strengthening the glutes and offloading the lower back. By providing this individual with more options, they gain greater degrees of freedom in their movements, and worry less about experiencing aches and pains the next morning.

We apply this approach throughout the entire body. While individuals primarily seek chiropractic care for back pain, the source of back pain may not be the spine itself. Similarly, knee pain may not originate from the knee. By dedicating 90 minutes to the initial visit, we are better equipped to address all necessary components of an individual’s discomfort, providing a truly individualized approach to care that enables you to do what you love  longer.