What Is Chronic Pain?
Everyone feels pain from time to time; it's a normal part of life. You may experience pain in particular after an injury or illness, and usually, as you heal that pain will reside until it eventually goes away.
When pain doesn't go away, or keeps coming back, doctors refer to it as chronic pain. This type of pain may persist for days, weeks, months, or even years.
Millions of people suffer from chronic pain, and there is little their doctor can do about it. Some common treatments include pain medication (both over-the-counter or prescription), steroid shots, ice packs, heating pads, physical therapy, walking aids, or—in extreme cases—surgery. Unfortunately, these treatments don't help enough, or can sometimes be worse than the pain.
A lot of chronic pain sufferers resign themselves to live with their pain. Before you make that decision, consider seeing a chiropractor for help.
Symptoms of Chronic Pain
There are all types of chronic pain: aching, stabbing, sharp, radiating, tingling, or shooting. Sometimes the pain comes and goes, and other times it is constant. It can be localized to a certain area, or widespread throughout the body. Some people have mild symptoms, for others, it can be quite severe, if not debilitating.
Chronic pain can interfere with your ability to work, enjoy your favorite activities, or move around freely. For some people, pain interferes with getting a good night's sleep. Many people with chronic pain suffer from depression, anxiety, and stress.
Could the Problem Be Your Upper Cervical Spine
Usually when people get pain in the lower back, the leg, the arm, or the head, they assume that the problem must be somewhere close to the pain. With the body, this is not always true. The musculoskeletal system works together; when one part isn't working properly, it can cause problems to manifest somewhere else.
The upper cervical spine is the uppermost part of the spine, and the most vulnerable. It runs through the neck and is prone to injuries that can come from accidents, injuries, roughhousing, falls, a bad mattress, poor posture, or just a wrong movement. When the vertebrae in the upper cervical area are out of alignment, it throws off the entire musculoskeletal system, putting undue strain on muscles, joints, ligaments, or bones elsewhere in the body.
When vertebrae are misaligned, it may also cause swelling, inflammation, and compression of nerves. When nerves are compressed, it disrupts the signals sent to and from the brain. This can cause a host of problems, such as interfering with your immune system's ability to heal your body.
How We Treat Patients with Chronic Pain
At Upper Spine Knoxville, we understand the toll that chronic pain can take on your life and well-being—and we want to help.
Dr. Bejian Shamloo is our upper cervical specialist—the only upper cervical chiropractor in Knoxville, TN, and surrounding areas. Dr. Shamloo believes in getting to the root problem to help relieve your systems, facilitating healing, and provide long-term health improvements.
Our office is equipped with state-of-the-art technology that has revolutionized the chiropractic care industry, allowing Dr. Shamloo to assess your condition with precision for the best possible treatment plan.
Many patients have found that quality chiropractic care like ours gives them back their lives again, so what have you got to lose? Give Dr. Shamloo a call to see how he can help you manage chronic pain with a natural, drug-free, non-invasive treatment plan. Dr. Shamloo's areas of coverage include Knoxville, Alcoa, Maryville, Farragut, Clinton, Oak Ridge, Sevierville, Lenoir City, Karns, Hardin Valley, Powell, Halls, and Fountain City in Tennessee, as well as the surrounding areas.
