Muscle Cramps: Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Often Helps
Most people that experience muscle cramps believe it’s due to a mineral deficiency. While this may be the case for some people, neurological dysfunction is often the underlying cause, and specific chiropractic care can likely help. Muscle cramps are defined as involuntary, prolonged, and painful contractions of muscles. The fact that only certain muscles are involved shows that focused neurological dysfunction plays a major role. Muscles are controlled by a group of nerves that need to function as a team. Severe and long-standing subluxation patterns in the spinal column can affect muscle coordination, balance, and contribute to muscle cramps.
When we do our Activator Methods analysis to test for neurological dysfunction, I’ve sometimes seen people develop severe cramps while making certain movements to challenge a specific region of the spine. This clearly shows a neurological connection and indicates that chiropractic adjustments can help to improve this muscle dysfunction.
Many people experience muscle cramps and I believe that it’s a sign of possible underlying pathology or disease. I am reminded of one of our clients that I saw about 10 years ago, that experienced the worst muscle cramps I’ve seen while we performed the analysis. With regular care, his muscle cramps reduced in intensity and frequency. Unfortunately, due to time constraints as he became busier with his work, he discontinued care. A few years later he developed esophageal cancer, which corresponded directly to the level of his spine where he experienced the most muscle cramps. Sadly, he passed away about a year ago, and I can only wonder if things would have turned out differently if he continued care and lived a healthier lifestyle.
The medical treatment for muscle cramps usually involves drugs to relax the muscles of the whole body, which will have a neurotoxic effect, especially in the long run, while failing to address the underlying neurological dysfunction. Many of these drugs can also have addictive properties, which creates even more problems.
Neurologically-focused chiropractic care is designed to address the underlying imbalance that likely contributes to muscle cramps. In my experience, C1 (or Atlas) subluxations are a major contributor to muscle cramps, as well as restless leg syndrome, especially when both sides of the body are affected. By analyzing the brain and nervous system as a whole, we can determine where the adjustments need to be made on each visit. Many people struggle with chronic muscle cramps for years before seeking the correct care, so healing likely will take time as well.
Chiropractic adjustments have been proven to improve muscle strength, coordination, and balance, which provides clues to explain how it can also help relieve muscle cramps. Muscle cramps can also be the result of side effects from chronic use of pharmaceutical drugs, which often has a nutrient-depleting and neurotoxic effect.
Specific chiropractic care can help regain proper control of muscles again naturally, without toxic side effects and maybe even help to prevent other problems, so you can enjoy life even more.
by SJ NANA, DC, DrNana.co.za
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Very interesting. I love your educational e-mails. Thank you very much!