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Chronic pain is considered a persistent conditionyou just have to learn to live with or manage withdrugs. Although there are several denitions ochronic pain, it is generally dened as pain that

lasts three months or longer. Te real question is, how doespain become chronic and what can be done about it?

Te most common cause o chronic pain is musculoskeletaldysunction. Musculoskeletal pain is that which usually

accompanies a car accident,sports injury or results romoverdoing an unaccustomedphysical activity such as yard

work in the all ollowing along restul Summer.

Although there is nouniversal solution to chronicpain, understanding the cause

will, in many cases, lead to complete relie. At MyoRehab, wespecialize in treating both chronic and acute musculoskeletalpain. When an injury is acute and the onset o pain is

recent, basic treatment skills are usually adequate. Once painbecomes chronic, advanced treatment skills are required.

By the time pain becomes chronic, a complex o multiplecomponents o the musculoskeletal and nervous systemare involved. reatment or one or two components othis complex provides temporary relie at best. Being ableto identiy and appropriately address all components thatcontribute to the perpetuation o chronic pain is the onlysolution.

Te transition to chronic musculoskeletal pain usuallybegins with treatment at the site o the pain instead o thecause. Notice the pain caused by an injury to a muscle called

the quadratus lumborum (Illustration A). Te most commoncause o injury to this muscle is liting a heavy object whilebent orward. Te injury is compounded i the spine is alsorotated.

Notice the pain pattern. It is not at the low back where theinjured muscle is located. reatment that ocuses at the site othe pain will provide temporary relie that will allow the painto return repeatedly which, in turn, stimulates the sensorynervous system repeatedly. It is this repeated pain stimulationthat, over time, produces changes within the nervous systemcausing acute pain to transition to chronic pain.

Tis is just the beginning. As musculoskeletal pain

becomes chronic, we distort our posture in an attemptto avoid pain. Its subtle at rst. We might sit leaning toone side or stand with our weight predominantly on oneleg. In time, these postural distortions result in additionalmusculoskeletal pain. Tis produces additional stimulationto the nervous system adding to the pain complex.

ake a moment to look at illustration B. Tis muscle isthe sternocleidomastoid or SCM. It is easily injured in a

whiplash that can occurduring a car accident, a slipand all or even a near slipand no all event. When theSCM is injured, pain romthis muscle is experiencedin the head. I not properlytreated, this muscle shortensand pulls the head orward

overloading the upper back muscles (Illustration C) in a tug-o-war in an attempt to balance the relentless orward pull othe SCM.

ypically, treatment ocuses on the headaches and upperback pain resulting in temporary relie. Without advancedtreatment skills, this too will transition to chronic pain. AtMyoRehab, therapists will identiy and treat all componentso your pain complex. During your rst visit a detailed reviewo your medical history provides insight into actors that haveinitiated and now perpetuate your pain.

Distortions o the musculoskeletal system are evaluatedwith standard orthopedic tests and a neurological evaluation.And since each body is unique, a specic postural alignmentevaluation combined with range o motion testing orm anindividualized treatment plan.

reatments are drug-ree and combine a hands-onapproach with adjunctive therapies. Tese may includephoto-biostimulation employing FDA approved cold lasersand Frequency Specic Microcurrent which targets specicsot tissue and various pain producing conditions.

Te use o your bodys own muscle energy is employedto gently move joints back to a neutral position aterissues involving sot tissue are efectively addressed. Anindividualized home exercise program is developed tomaintain the progress gained during treatment.

Providing a Team Approach to drug-free pain relief for over a quarter of a century

Eliminating Chronic PainMyoRehabHas Answers

Truly Alive | A Living Naturally Magazine | November/December 2009 13