I was still awake around 4:30 A.M. I did not take a pill. I knew exactly why I was in pain. I figured the flare up was the natural course of the rebuilding process. Also, I was especially aware of the slice of pizza I had in the evening. It was just an emotional decision to grab comfort food. It was not a grain free crust, which is my preference. It was store bought and full of chemicals. Yuck. Disappointing to say the least.
Nothing like a little digestive distress to make my back pain even more pronounced. The supplements I took before bed must have been used up in a flash. A lot of reconstruction going at the muscles and joints. The increase in pain was just that, a construction crew repairing the area I injured. Eventually I slept a couple more hours.
I didn't want to delay this repair process. The delay could last weeks or months. A medicine such as an anti-inflammatory would have put my brain right back into fight or flight. There is no healing, rebuilding, repair in that state. Sure, the pain might be dulled, but my liver would be upset by the toxins. Why make it worse? Unfortunately, the public so often downplays these types of consequences.
Moving around in the morning was challenging, after sleeping late, but I would not be rushing. I made it to the office with the full intention of doing my day. And by 11 AM I realized I was so focused on the people in front of me that I was 90% improved.
Okay, I had that delayed onset problem of exercising too much. I was super excited that the weather finally calmed down after the brutal humidity. I wanted to make up for lost time. That's not really a good idea when you're actually pushing your muscles past their comfort zone. It felt good during, but not later.
The pain made standing, walking, and bending more work than it should have been. Every movement was a constant reminder that my body was now attempting to re-balance with inflammation and pushing out dying cells. This is the routine process of healing. Yes, that's what you're feeling when you are in pain. Moving cells hurts. It's a very active time that should not be disrupted with additional stress or other harms we think little of, such as a caffeine jolt or burning the candle at both ends.
Was this the day I was so glad to become a chiropractor because I had back pain and could get adjusted? No, not really. Was my severe neck sprain ten years ago another reason I was glad to be a chiropractor. No, not really.
Spine pain is not an isolated event. It is a specific pattern instigated by the brain. The brain also involves the blood circulation, immune system, different parts of liver function, your mood, hormones, and more. Include them all in your quest for health.
Back surgeries fail because the intended goal is too narrow and valuable body functions are ignored. I can say the same thing about chiropractic care that is too narrowly focused. It's my biggest criticism of chiropractic and my professional education. But, I digress.
It's nice to recover quickly from a painful event, but that is not what chiropractic is about. (That's not even what life is about.)
Most people think recovery is the ending point of an event. That is not accurate and I do not want to set anyone up for future failure. That would be like using a sump pump to get the water out of your basement while ignoring the gaping hole in your roof during a rainstorm. If the rain stops is that recovery?
The Google dictionary definition of recovery is "the action or process of regaining possession or control of something stolen or lost."
Is your health stolen? Is your health lost? Did you misplace it? No.
Everything your brain does is correct for the situation. Your body didn't lose its way. Your body is responding to your brain's perception of a survival need. How you mentally respond will make all the difference in your so called recovery.
Recovery is not a bad word. It's just inappropriate to use it to describe health. You don't need to recover. You only need to complete the process.
The goal is to cooperate with the body, not disrupt purposeful body responses.
Chiropractic is not about treatment.
We don't treat. We complete. And we teach you how to recognize your brain's own unique functioning based on your experiences and memories so you can prevent unnecessary stress as well as empower yourself during a healing/rebuilding event.
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