Feeling "off," but not quite in pain? Here's what might be going on...
There it is again - something just feels "off." Maybe it's your knee, your neck, general malaise, or something else, but you know that something's not quite right. What might be going on?
If you're attuned to your body and feel that something is "off," you might be sensing a loss of functionality. When there is a problem in the body, function decreases before we even get to symptoms! Symptoms occur only after a problem has built up over a longer period of time, leading to tissue damage. Symptoms are often the last thing to show up, and the first thing to go away during the healing process. Function, on the other hand, is the source of the problem and the first thing to be affected!
What causes an early loss of function? Subluxation may be the culprit. A subluxation is a misalignment in the spine that interferes with the communication between the brain and the body. It has four components:
Restricted motion: The joints get stuck and lose their normal range of motion.
Muscle tension: The muscles in the body tense up to protect the body from further damage.
Inflammation: The joint becomes inflamed and may have local swelling. The body does this to protect itself from further damage.
Nerve interference: The nerve can get irritated and/or get inaccurate information from receptors in the spine due to the joint's dysfunctional motion. Without accurate information traveling along our nerves, there are miscommunications between the brain and the body. This prevents the brain from coordinating a healing response to the best of its ability.
Symptoms can start to build up in all four of these areas. Restricted motion can grow and lead to the inability to move in certain directions. Muscle tension can increase and become spasms. Inflammation can grow from point tenderness to regional pain and discomfort. Most importantly, nerve interference can lead to symptoms in end-organs throughout your body. This can lead to symptoms like headaches, difficulty sleeping, gastrointestinal distress, and more.
The focus of chiropractic care is to correct subluxations. This not only takes care of the restricted motion, muscle tension, and inflammation at the joint, but it also restores proper communication between the brain and the body. This allows the brain to coordinate the appropriate responses for the body to heal itself!
If you're feeling a little bit "off," it might be time to get checked out by a chiropractor, to see if subluxations might be present!