Usually, we assume that if we are feeling pain in a certain spot on our body, the pain source must be in that exact spot. It is certainly a logical assumption. However, what you are experiencing may be “referred pain”. Let us take a closer look at referred pain and why the source of your pain may not be where you feel it.
What is referred pain?
In simple terms, referred pain is when you are feeling pain in one part of your body, but the source comes from another part. For example, you could be having issues with a ligament near your ankle, but you feel the pain in your knee. This can be a confusing concept, but chiropractors deal with it daily. Referred pain is easier to understand if you think of pain as a signal from your body that something is wrong. When you feel pain, it is more of a general signal from your body that you need to investigate. It is not necessarily telling you where the pain is coming from. The pain itself is not the problem; it is simply representing one.
What causes referred pain?
Your spine is the core of your central nervous system. When you have small subluxations or misalignments in your spine, these often cause referred pain in your organs or muscles. Misalignments are quite common and are usually caused by long-term wear and tear. Overworked or tight muscles can also lead to a compressed nerve, another condition related to referred pain.
How can a chiropractor help with referred pain?
Chiropractors train in recognizing common patterns of referred pain. For example, headaches are often referred pain caused by misalignments in the neck. Chiropractic treatment focuses on finding the source of pain rather than just treating the symptom.
Do you have referred pain? Come see the chiropractors at Posture Docs today!