Pain is relative to the individual, making it a hard variable to quantify. We can qualify pain, however. Being able to say that it’s acute vs. chronic, for example, means understanding more about what might be causing it.
For chiropractors – specifically those working within the Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) modality – qualifying pain is paramount to treating the whole patient properly. Until a patient’s pain is understood, no real headway can be made towards delivering relief. Thankfully, there are tools that chiropractors can use to qualify and address pain of both acute and chronic varieties.
The chiropractors at Ideal Spine Health Center in Boise, ID rely on a strong repertoire of techniques to properly and thoroughly assess the pain of patients. And, once identified, we can factor findings into an accurate diagnosis with a tailored treatment plan. It’s all part of the CBP program we abide by.
Qualifying pain
Is the pain constant and consistent, at a level that’s annoying but not debilitating? Does it occur sharply only in the mornings? Does it come in waves that crash hard and recede slowly?
Getting patients to talk about their pain symptoms is the easiest way to get a handle on the type of pain that’s occurring and how frequently it might show itself. This allows a chiropractor to learn extensively how the pain “behaves” in an effort to qualify it. Variables like rate of occurrence, nature of occurrence, and longevity of occurrence help define pain.
Ultimately, the most helpful labels a chiropractor can place on pain are “acute” and “chronic.” These indicate the relationship of pain to a condition that is either occurring in the event of a catalyst or a condition that is consistently occurring at all times.
Providing relief on two fronts
How acute and chronic pain are treated are important factors in an CBP patient rehabilitation schedule. For example, chronic pain requires immediate attention, which may mean a series of spinal adjustments to alleviate nerve compression. Conversely, chronic pain may require more lead time to approach, with strengthening and stretching exercises built into an adjustment schedule over several weeks.
Because the nature of pain is qualified at the outset of treatment, a tailored CBP plan will build in approaches to both. These can occur individually or concurrently, depending on the findings. A patient with no acute pain and mild chronic pain will have a different treatment plan than someone with severe acute pain and mild chronic pain, for example.
CBP also takes tailored treatment a step further in considering how to prevent pain in all its forms from resurfacing. Going beyond just administering relief, chiropractors will also work with patients to develop better habits, healthier postures, and better awareness of lifestyle. Getting patients familiar with the catalysts for their pain can keep them from inducing it again.
Giving pain a name
Perhaps the most powerful attribute that CBP has in addressing pain is the ability to help patients know their pain. Mysterious pain is daunting and debilitating, and can leave patients feeling like there’s no cure. Putting a name to the pain – “acute sciatic pain” or “fibromyalgia” or “myelopathy” – serves to introduce patients to their enemy and gives them a place to start combating it.
Pain is something the team at Ideal Spine Health Center in Boise, ID pays close attention to, because it can unlock the secrets of a debilitating spinal condition. If you’re living with pain of any kind, schedule a free consultation with our team today and see the power of a CBP approach firsthand.
Chiropractic BioPhysics, or CBP, is one of the most scientific, researched, and results-oriented corrective care techniques. CBP-trained chiropractors aim to realign the spine back to health, eliminating nerve interference and addressing the source of pain, fatigue, and disease. As with all chiropractic care, CBP is gentle, painless, and non-invasive.