Chronic Pain

CHRONIC PAIN. . . Is it preventing you from living the life you want?

If so, you aren't alone. Millions of people suffer from debilitating chronic pain -- in fact, it is said to be the single most costly healthy problem in the United States. As anyone who has suffered from chronic pain can attest, it takes a great mental and emotional toll. The true cost of chronic pain also includes increased medical expenses; lost income and productivity and the inability to enjoy normal activities, hobbies and sports. You can do something to regain control of your life from the pain.  If you've tried conventional medical treatments, such as physical therapy or drugs, and still aren't satisfied with the results, neurological chiropractic treatments may be the answer for you.

How is chiropractic neurology different?

Chiropractic neurology does not use drugs to treat pain. Drugs cannot eliminate pain; rather they mask symptoms and block your perception of pain. While drugs may play a role in temporarily controlling pain, the focus of chiropractic neurology is to find and eliminate the root cause of pain. Once the underlying cause is resolved, pain goes away without the aid of chemicals.

How do we eliminate pain without drugs?

At GCNC, Dr. Ellis focuses on four areas that other practitioners either overlook or do not utilize in concert. These are the fascia, joint/movement, biochemistry, and functional neurology. Each plays a role in setting the conditions for you to experience chronic pain.

1. Fixing the Fascia

Fascia is the tissue that literally holds the body together. If this connective tissue is scarred or misaligned, it can pull muscles or joints out of normal alignment -- resulting in inflammation and pain. Regardless of how many treatments you receive aimed at the joint or muscle tissue in the affected area, the pain will continue to recur until the  fascia itself is treated. Realigning the fascia and breaking any scar tissue that has formed that restricts its movement will often resolve the problem immediately. This is a technique that most physicians and physical therapists are not trained to perform. Dr. Ellis, with his years of experience in neuromuscular therapy, focuses on restoring tissues on multiple levels.

2. Properly-moving joints:  Allowing your body to move through the pain

Once the fascia is aligned, Dr. Ellis turns his attention to movement of the joints. Although it sounds counter-intuitive (most people who are injured experience pain when they move), movement actually has two great benefits for pain. If joints are fixated they cannot move through the full range of motion which is required to increase blood flow to the affected area thereby carrying away byproducts of inflammation and bringing nutrients to the damaged tissue. This results in reduced swelling and faster healing. The second -- and less well-known benefit -- is that movement itself actually blocks the perception of pain. There are sensors in your body that signal your brain when you're in pain. Another set of sensors sends messages to your brain about movement. These sensors actually override the pain sensors and inhibit them from sending pain signals to your brain.

3. Biochemistry

Inflammation or swelling is the third cause of pain that chiropractic neurology treats -- not with anti-inflammatory drugs or muscle relaxers, but with diet and supplements. What you eat can have a  domino effect in the tissues in your body and actually cause inflammation. Certain foods can cause the pH and sugar level in your blood to be out of balance. This in turn cause the production of free radicals, which causes swelling and tissue damage. Swelling can then add to existing pain or cause new pain. Dr. Ellis uses a number of methods to evaluate a patient's biochemistry. These methods help determine which foods to avoid and what specific supplements can be helpful. This varies based on your own body chemistry.

4. Functional Neurology

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, chiropractic neurology addresses improper coordination of the brain/nervous system. This malfunctioning can be the source of pain in the body where pain does not actually exist -- for example, phantom pain, where a person experiences pain in a missing limb. Improper coordination of the brain/nervous system can also cause inflammation or tightness in muscles, setting the stage for increased injury and pain.Why GCNC to treat chronic pain?          Dr. Ellis employs a truly unique and holistic approach to treat and eliminate chronic pain, working in concert on the fascia, joints, biochemistry and brain/nervous system. Are you ready to reclaim control of your life and live pain free? Take the first step by setting an appointment for a comprehensive consultation and evaluation.