Why back pain and neck pain are different than arm or leg pain.
I hear from patients frequently: "I didn't do anything that I remember", "I lifted some things this weekend but nothing out of the ordinary", or "I'm worried that I'm about to break!"
Intense back or neck pain can be very startling--even scary. When pain appears without a specific incident or accident, it's hard to understand. Neck, upper back, and lower back pain can feel like you're headed towards paralysis and not able to return to the activities you want to do or even need to do. But why does neck pain or low back pain seem so much more challenging that wrist or ankle pain?
I suggest we remember that our neck and back muscles are most often controlled by the sub-conscious while our arms & legs are more often controlled by conscious decisions. You actively choose to move your arm to reach in the fridge, but you probably put little thought into all the back muscles you need to hold your body in front of the fridge. In that same way, our brains are able to discriminate more clearly what is happening to our elbow, while we have a greater challenge sensing where the pain is coming from in the back. I am often told: "it hurts everywhere in my neck". Which is another way of saying: "I can't tell where it's located."
If you're experiencing neck or back pain, visit a chiropractor or physical therapist whom you trust. Once a thorough exam has ruled out scary things (which would suggest more immediate or aggressive intervention), you can proceed toward conservative treatments knowing they are likely to help the most and have the least risk. Conservative manual therapy (including manipulation, soft-tissue treatments, Active Release Techniques, and exercise) works so well because it treats the source of the problem, which is often that muscles, nerves, and ligaments are irritated. The best way to calm them down is by providing calm, soothing input. The kind of input that is gentle on the body, feels good, and helps you return to the activities you want to accomplish.
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