As a practicing chiropractor for over 35 years, one of the tenets I have observed is that the body will always try to protect itself. We all know that if we sprain our ankle it will swell. Swelling is the body’s way of splinting the joint to prevent movement that could further injure us. If we eat spoiled food, we will vomit to expel the toxins. If we hurt our neck or lower back, the muscles will go into spasm to stabilize the area so we don’t cause further injury. We don’t necessarily like what our bodies do to protect us, but these protective functions keep us from further harm.

This article will discuss the protective mechanisms the body takes on when the neck or lower back is injured. He will also discuss a recent research article detailing a scientific study that takes a deeper look at this topic.

Anyone who has injured their neck or back has had the very uncomfortable process of suffering from muscle spasms. At worst, this can prevent us from performing virtually all activities of daily living. At best, we could perform normal functions, but the pain can be quite aggravating. As noted above, when these areas are injured, the body will do whatever it takes to protect itself. Muscles and spasm protect the neck and back joints from excess movement that could further damage them.

Many times we suffer what are called subacute injuries. They are usually the mildest form of neck and back injury. They usually occur from overuse of repetitive stresses on the body. For example, someone who sits for long hours at a desk and a computer may develop neck and upper back pain. Or someone who stands for long hours, such as a cashier, may develop chronic low back pain.

With these chronic subacute conditions, subtle alterations of the body occur to provide protection against further damage. In the case of the office worker, most people start to develop very tight muscles at the top of the shoulders and at the back of the base of the skull. In the case of the teller, the large muscles along the spine become tight and go into some degree of spasm.

When I see these patients in my office, I usually approach the correction in two phases. The first phase consists of correcting misalignments and inappropriate movements of the spinal joints. Muscles that are tense, and in spasms and areas of defense, will now have a chance to relax and return to normal tone.

The second phase is to strengthen some weaker muscles to improve posture and support areas under stress. The office worker will receive gentle exercises to strengthen some smaller muscles in the neck area and shoulder blades. The cashier will receive exercises to strengthen the important abdominal muscles.

I call this turning off some muscles and activating them. This usually balances the area under stress and allows the body to heal properly.

A study in the research journal, Skull, October 2019, discuss this. The study compared 22 people with neck and headache pain with 22 healthy subjects. The researchers observed that the deep neck muscles of healthy subjects were normal. However, the muscles of the participants in the neck pain and headache group were weak. The researchers suggest that healthcare professionals should take this into account when developing a treatment plan for patients with this condition. Chiropractic physicians often treat patients with headaches and neck pain through spinal manipulation and therapeutic exercises.

It is important for healthcare professionals and patients to look at the full picture of what is causing neck and back conditions. Pills or injections are often used to suppress the symptoms. For more than 125 years, chiropractors have used multifaceted, effective, and safe care to help patients with common complaints of neck and back pain.