Did you know that inflammation is the major cause of all pain in the body?
It makes sense then, that when anyone experiences pain, the doctor will prescribe anti-inflammatory and pain killer drugs. Sometimes they work, other times they don’t. Sometimes they do not work because the cause of inflammation is not being addressed; at times, the message to the brain to disperse the fluids without addressing the cause is not enough, not to mention side affects…
To understand in layman-terms, the mechanisms of how inflammation and fluid congestion or stagnation begins and how it becomes the major culprit in the cause of pain is as follows:
Something occurs that will cause soft tissue dysfunction which leads to increase muscle tone.
Some of the events that cause soft tissue dysfunction contributing to increased muscle tone are:Stress such as Chronic Negative Emotional States(anxiety etc.),Body Language and Postural Stresses.
Congenital Distortions (like short/long leg) also can increase muscle tone in the favored side.
Overuse, Misuse, Abuse, and Disuse are also causes for injury or bad habits.
It can happen at work, in sports, or regular activities;
Each and every one of us is affected to some degree, when acute and painful problems overlay on chronic which then becomes the norm.
In layman terms, the sequences of events that take place as we begin to experience pain are as follows:
- As the muscles remain in a contracted state for long periods of time and the muscle tone becomes tight, the circulation in that area becomes compromised.
- Circulatory problems have the potential to cause pain.
Spasms, constriction, or obstruction of blood vessels are conditions that prevent some degree of oxygen from circulating in the contracted areas. This condition is called ischemia which can also result in pain. - Oxygen is used to produce energy in the body (this is called aerobic energy). Sometimes the body requires energy production faster than it can receive oxygen. When the muscle tonicity is tight and the muscle’s lack oxygen, the energy produced is called anaerobically causing the production of Lactic acid.
So Lactic acid is produced when the muscles revert from aerobic to anaerobic use of energy. - Circulation blockages which lead to a degree of edema.,, which means; the hypertonicity or (tight muscles) also lead to the retention of metabolic wastes.
- When you add all these conditions (less oxygen in tissue, ischemia, lactic acid build up, accumulation of wastes, edema), all these fluids and the lack of oxygen will create pressure in the area, thus pain and discomfort are experienced.
- The discomfort and pain will then cause the nerves to send messages to the brain, and the response is for the muscles to contract further “brace ourselves”, “don’t move”, “hold your breath or else it will hurt more”, thus facilitating hyper-reactivity.
- This hyper reactivity causes the brain to sends fluids carrying macrophages, platelets and other healing activity to take place in investigating the area in distress. That process will increase fluids (vascularity) to activating even more pressure in the area.
- The increase in vascularity eventually leads to inflammation or chronic irritation in an endless vicious cycle (as the smothered nerves continue to send messages to the brain and the brain reacts by sending more fluids.)
- In chronic conditions, connective tissue production begins to build which leads to the shortening of the tissue thus potentially causing distortions elsewhere, negatively affecting structures that could be supported by, or attached to nerves, muscles, lymph structures and blood vessels.
- Chain reactions evolve in which cause postural muscles shorten while others weaken, or sustained muscle tension, ischemia and muscle and bone pain develops thus it all returns back to #1.
- The continuous repetition of this cycle leads to
- energy waste and eneralized fatigue
- constant neurological feedback of pain to the brain
- inability to relax
- increase in hypertonicity
- chronic musculoskeletal problems and pain
- At this stage if the issues at hand have not been addressed or corrected, the body requires therapy in order to restore the damages and re-educate the individual as to how to use their body in a healthy way
Source: Chaitow, Leon (1996) Modern Neuromuscular Techniques – (p. 6-7)
How can we identify pain where it comes from and what it is causing it:
Dull achy pain – tells you that there is muscular dysfunction
Sharp shooting pain, Tingling and numbness – tells you that a nerve is compromised or a neurological dysfunction. Sometimes a nerve is smothered by a tight muscle or fluid pressure so it is not able to operate as usual. A good therapist is able to identify this condition immediately.
Burning pain - is indication of inflammation or fluid stagnation in the area. Sometimes fluid congestion will prevent proper movement and decrease range of motion as well as tight muscles underneath.
Deep dull pain – as pain in joints - is bone pain often caused by lack of fluids that need to lubricate them or caused by ischemia.
Massage Therapy, especially the K3D technique addresses the body as a whole, releasing toxicity and excess accumulation of fluids and blockages in circulation; reduces muscle hypertonicity thus increasing range of motion and ease in movement; strengthens the immune system while it detoxifies the body.
Why not address the pain and inflammation through a noninvasive treatment before a more invasive one is pursued? The release can often be immediate and the results are not to be compared.