In my chiropractic practice, patients in pain commonly ask me if their condition is caused by “tight muscles.” My answer is: “yes and no”. You could say that “yes and no” is not a very good answer and I would answer that it is the best I have for that question.

Pain can be caused by tense muscles, but we must ask ourselves: “Why are the muscles tense?” We cannot forget that the muscles are on the surface of our body. We must also remember that our spinal and pelvic bones and joints are deep and under the muscles. If the pelvic and deep spinal bones are well aligned and moving correctly, the surface muscles will be relaxed. However, if the bones of the spine and pelvis are misaligned and irritate the joints and pinch the nerves, the muscles will tighten and spasm to protect us from further injury to the spine. We don’t like that spasm, but we must respect that our muscles protect us and prevent further injury. It is important to examine the deeper structures first. If we correct spinal and pelvic misalignments with chiropractic care, the muscles will relax naturally.

This brings up another frequently asked question: “Should I get a massage?” My answer is that massages will help temporarily. I’m all for massages, but they won’t completely correct the problem unless the spine is adjusted by a chiropractor.

We also want to use a physical therapist at the right time. If there is a misalignment and physiotherapy exercises target a misaligned spine, all we do is injure it further. So first we have to do our chiropractic adjustments, then the exercise will be fantastic. Of course, the exercises you have learned here at our office are low risk and can and should be done daily.

When we have a spinal musculoskeletal problem, seeing the right healthcare specialist in the right time sequence will prevent us from delaying healing and will relieve pain sooner. I generally like to refer patients to physical and massage therapists after my patients have corrected underlying conditions of the spine and pelvic joints with their chiropractic care.

Remember, chiropractic care helps restore balance and allows our bodies to heal and function well naturally without drugs or invasive surgery. It is important to check the deeper structures of our body first to address the underlying cause of the condition.