Symptoms vs Cause

For the past week or so I have been suffering from back pain, for the second time in about 6 months.  I have disc disease and sometimes a consistent lack of good posture can put me in need of treatments to correct the misalignment of my spine that results.  I've been going to a chiropractor off and on for my symptoms, for nearly 10 years.

Recently my hubby who has suffered from back pain for a very long time, (and who recommended his chiropractor to me 10 years ago) had an upsurge of pain and in a different area than normal.  So he went to his doctor, who sent him to a physiotherapist.  He had his first appointment today.

Long story short, the physiotherapist targets the source (the cause) of the pain and works at strengthening the body so that it doesn't allow that to happen again.  If he does his exercises and follows his physiotherapist's advice, he may never have to go to chiro again.

This is impressive.  Chiropractic adjustments can treat a problem after it happens and does not guarantee that you won't be back again in six months. Physiotherapy targets the ligaments and muscles that support the skeletal structure and if you continue with the exercises, it can make it possible for you never to have symptoms again.

The idea is quite simple - work with the body to heal the body.  The onus is on the sufferer to participate in his or her healing.  

I like that.  

It's not like body-building where the focus is on making big showy muscles bulge.  Rather, it is in developing core strength in muscles and ligaments that never even show on the outside.  

I'm thinking that as soon as I can get to the place in my chiro treatments where I can get around without hobbling (got a ways to go yet) I might actually see my doctor and get a referral to this physiotherapist - to see what can be done to prevent further episodes.  

Pain is the body's way to alert the brain that something is wrong and in need of repair - and one can take pills for it or have one's body manhandled (which, believe me, goes through a stage where it feels worse), or treat the source of the problem and then have no need for the pills.

It's kind of like someone who has low self-esteem taking a course in public speaking.  It might treat the symptom of fear of public speaking but it doesn't address the core problem: the low self-esteem will resurface in another area. 

It might take longer - but getting to the root of a problem is far better than just focusing on the externals.