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tt
30-03-07, 23:24
I had received your advise a few weeks ago and went to the Doctors. He did send me to get a set of Xrays done. It showed according to my Chiro, a flat back and curvitor spine. She says she will adjust it once the muscle tension lessons. Right now she says I am way too tight.



Well, I won't comment here about physicians who feel patients should "live with it," particularly in light of the fact that some of these same persons ring my door bell with no hesitancy to relieve their own dilemma.

Nevertheless, to the issue at hand, what you are describing with regard to pain between the scapulae and muscles that are para-spinal is very similar to stress-related musculo-skeletal discomfort. There are several conditions that can also cause this type of pain, but simple things first.

Since the most common presentation is due to stress, the use of anti-inflammatories and exercise to relieve symptoms is always primary to determine if improvement is observed. It's quite difficult to stretch these muscles the way one might with a leg or arm and consequently, chronic discomfort is typical under stress conditions. Also, unless the pain is referred from a cervical abnormality, anti-inflammatories in my opinion do little for pure muscle spasm and discomfort.

It's important to know how long this has been taking place, whether your neck and occiput (base of the skull), shoulder(s) is painful as well, and whether discomfort is increased when moving any of these junctures. If you've had an MRI to rule out cervical problems, then it's likely a stress-related origin. While some conditions having to do with the pancreas, gall bladder and liver can cause pain between or under the scapulae region, this sort of pain is usually acute and periodic, with other symptoms being present as well.

The suggestion here since symptomatic treatment has not been productive is to have an MRI of the neck and spine. If things look good on MRI, a simple general chem panel to make certain that lab values are good would be wise to ensure that the pain is not referred pain.

Still, my first impression is musculo-skeletal pain.
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Best regards and Good Health

RLR
01-04-07, 19:43
Okay, WHoah Horse and I do mean Whoah. I certainly made the response, but in reading your latest posting, I will tell you in no uncertain terms that I find chiropractics to be on the same level with charasmatics. You are entirely free to choose your own approach to medical care, but I will avidly tell you that there is a mile-wide gap between a "doctor" and a "physician" with regard to this topic. Chiropractors are not physicians under any circumstances and while this used to be an incorporation of practices once held by Osteopaths, they were forced to divorce themselves from chiropractic methods in order to be accepted by the formal medical community. Osteopathy today represents some of the finest medical care available worldwide, leaving Chiropractic healthcare unto it's own world, well separated from medicine.

In defense of chiropractors, I will offer concurance that they do provide benefit in cases of low back pain that is strictly muscular tension related and as part of their treatment, the physical therapy on muscle tissues apart from "chiropractic adjustment" is largely responsible for improvement.

When people pop their fingers or "crack" their back, they are in fact releasing small amounts of CO2 that diffused into the joint space and in doing so, find the subsequent popping sensation to be pleasing and even relaxing, much like a stretch or yawn. But this process is oftentimes characterized as realignment of skeletal structures. Nothing could be further from the truth and if such a premise were actually possible, we'd all be laid up with paralysis because of the frailty of the human skeleton suggested by such a yarn.

The most favored speech by chiropractors is to point out that your spine is either too straight or too curved or demonstrates spondylosis, etc and that critical "adjustments" are necessary to restore proper configurations.

These folks will even stretch as far as to indicate that medical illness is subsequent to misalignment of skeletal structures impinging upon nerves and by correcting these disproportions, they can cure illness. It is the modern day representation of peddlers selling miracle potions in centuries prior.

So while any licensed professional can have images of your spine ordered, it is the interpretation of these films that is critical. I will tell you here that I do not believe the origin of your pain to be the consequence of either a "straight" or "curved" spine. Chiropractors are noted for playing upon the absolutely normal genetic variations observed in the human skeletal structure and will always hold the films up to the light and point out the "misalignment." I would offer to inquire how a patient with no medical training would know the difference, ultimately relegated to accepting such a premise.

I more believe the muscular tension to be the source of your problem in the total absence of anything wrong with your spine whatsoever. A physical therapist can do you a world of good in this regard and unless you just enjoy the sensation, forego the "adjustment" portion of what is being characterized as necessary treatment. Incidentally, you can have your spine or other skeletal structures popped and prodded all you care to and the alignment will remain the same. Medical fact.