Ask the Naturopathic Physician

Q: I have been suffering from low back pain for several years. Chiropractic adjustments relieve the pain temporarily but it always returns, sometimes within a few days and some times within a few hours. Is something being overlooked or are there alternative therapies that can permanently correct my low back pain? T. O. Huntley

A: Osseous manipulation (osseous means bones) is a therapy that has two philosophical models. Because naturopathic medicine and osteopathic medicine have descended from a common ancestor, these two fields of medicine purport the model that muscles pull bones out of alignment causing musculoskeletal pain. The chiropractic philosophical model purports that the spine itself becomes out of alignment pinching nerves that subsequently leads to musculoskeletal pain. I suspect the truth lies somewhere in between these two philosophical models. This is, however, simply polite table conversation because treatment with the high-velocity low-amplitude adjustment techniques, used by all three of the above named medical disciplines, are identical. These adjustment techniques, which cause an audible cracking of the joints that are being manipulated, should bring immediate and permanent relief from pain. If, however, the pain is not relieved by such manipulation, or the pain is recurrent, then the underlying cause is most likely neuromuscular dysfunction.

Neuromuscular dysfunction is mediated through the proprioceptive nervous system. The proprioceptive nervous system has several functions. Perhaps its most important function is to tell us where we are in space. For example, if you were to close your eyes you would still be able to know exactly where your left hand is because the proprioceptive receptors in your left hand communicate with the cerebellum of your brain telling you exactly where your left hand is. The proprioceptive nervous system has several other functions, among which is to serve as a protection mechanism in case of injury. If you have been injured the proprioceptive nervous system informs the cerebellum in your brain of the physical position that you are in and in collaboration between the cerebellum and proprioceptive system, that part of your brain attempts to keep you in the exact same position that you were in when you were injured. This is an unconscious mechanism that is meant to protect you; if however, this mechanism remains active for more than a few seconds it can lead to what has been termed neuromuscular dysfunction. Let us take a very common example of low back pain: a person leans forward to lift some object and strains his or her low back. The proprioceptive nervous system reports this forward bending position to the cerebellum and a protective mechanism of the brain sets in motion a constant nervous stream to the muscles attached to the front of the spine to remain short in an attempt to keep the person in a forward bending position. That person cannot function well bending forward and so consciously forces him or herself to stand erect. The muscles of the back are called upon to perform this upright posture. In doing so these back muscles become fatigued and send pain signals to the brain as well as transmit dysfunction to the spine. Because the person complains of back pain, therapies are very commonly directed toward the back, but the dysfunction is actually in the front and until the neuromuscular dysfunction is relieved, the back pain will remain unremitting.

The good news about this very common condition is that the treatment for neuromuscular dysfunction is completely painless and requires a small number of office visits to accomplish. That number depends on the severity, extent of injury, and the length of time the person has been injured but even so it is quite common to have complete resolution of pain symptoms after a single office visit.

Yellowstone Naturopathic Clinic
720 N. 30th St.
Billings, MT 59101
PHONE 406·259·5096/FAX 406·248·5655

ync@180com.net

Dispensary
406·254·9682

dispensary@yncnaturally.com