About |
I spent the first 10 years of practice contemplating why so many patients with Chronic Pain would have fantastic results when treated with chiropractic adjustments & acupuncture, but other patients with seemingly identical problems, would not hold adjustments. About ten years ago, I began to understand why.
Many people's Chronic Pain originates in the collagen-based connective tissues (muscles, ligaments, tendons, and fascia). There are two opposing models for the diagnosis and treatment of these tissues. The “Old Model” is based on lots of expensive tests, dangerous drugs, and problematic surgeries. This model has been scientifically proven to be at least two decades out of date.
There is a great deal of research proving that drugs and surgery are not usually the best solution for Chronic Pain caused by the collagen-based tissues. This “New Model” is based on the fact that these “elastic” connective tissues tend to “adhese” when they are injured or overworked. These microscopic adhesions and scar tissue (mostly in the fascia), are nearly impossible to detect on tests. Fascia, which is arguably the single most pain-sensitive tissue in the body, does not show up on even the most advanced diagnostic imaging tests, including MRI.
The New Model for the diagnosis and treatment of connective tissue injuries is low tech and inexpensive; yet extremely effective. It is a form of Tissue Remodeling that “breaks” microscopic scarring and adhesions (it also typically causes some bruising).
Individual collagen fibers that make up ligaments, tendons, muscles, and fascia, should line up to each other in an orderly and parallel fashion --- sort of like well combed hair. When these particular collagen-based tissues are injured, whether the injury is chronic or acute, traumatic or repetitive, the individual tissue fibers begin to scar and adhese. This microscopic scar tissue is no longer like well-combed hair, but looks and acts more like a hair tangle. The collagen fibers of the scar tend to run every which way ---- in all three dimensions. This makes scar tissue terribly weak and inelastic, which make it prone to re-injury (not to mention, up to 1,000 times more pain-sensitive than normal tissue).
Some of the more common problems that are, at least to a large degree, caused by microscopic scarring of the collagen-based tissues of the Deep Soma, include Muscle Pulls or Tears, Tendinitis / Tendinosis, shoulder problems (including Rotator Cuff), Piriformis Syndrome (butt pain), Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Bursitis, Plantar Fasciitis, Osgood Schlatter’s Syndrome, Chronic Neck Pain, Chronic Back Pain, Chronic Headaches, arthritic pain (degenerative arthritis), ITB Syndrome, Dupuytren’s Palmar Contracture, DeQuervain’s Syndrome (thumb tendinosis), all sorts of Sports Injuries, Injured Ligaments, old “Whiplash” injuries, and many others.
Our website (Destroy Chronic Pain) has lots of information on effectively treating the Chronic Pain caused by scarring of the elastic, collagen-based connective tissues. We have over 80 pages of incredible information, patient testimonials, pertinent medical research, and informative pictures, all organized in an easy-to-find format. In fact, every problem mentioned in the preceding paragraph has its own webpage. Oh, and don’t think that just because every other doctor has given up on you, your case is hopeless. My favorite patients are the ones who everyone else has given up on!