After traveling, body/musculoskeletal aches and pains can present from continual standing in line, sitting, staying in the same position, carrying a heavy bag or pulling a suitcase, and sleeping in an unfamiliar bed with different pillows, on a plane or car can cause body imbalances, jerking the spine out of alignment, straining the neck, shoulders, and back causing headaches, soreness, stiffness, back pain, and compression. Chiropractic massage and decompression will relieve travel pains, loosen stiff and sore joints, soothe aching muscles, realign the spine, and restore body health and comfort.
Musculoskeletal Health
The musculoskeletal system is comprised of:
Muscles
Tendons
Ligaments
Bones
Joints
Tissues that move the body and help maintain structure and form.
The health of the musculoskeletal system is defined as the absence of injury, disease, or illness within the system. Keeping this system healthy is crucial for the health of the other body systems.
Common Muskuloskeletal Conditions
Musculoskeletal injuries – work-related, personal, automobile, sports, or physical activity
Musculoskeletal health is enhanced by increased circulation that increases oxygen flow that relaxes the mind and body. Overworked sore, tired muscles after traveling can keep the body tense which could lead to chronic stress symptoms. Chiropractic massage therapy effectively reduces stress and anxiety by manipulating the body tissues like the muscles, tendons, connective tissues, and ligaments, increasing blood circulation and improving flexibility.
Jet-Lag
The body is weak after traveling into different time zones, which can cause jet lag, stress, and relaxation problems.
Jet lag can cause sleep problems, leading to extreme fatigue, headaches, and nausea.
Chiropractic can alleviate jet lag effects quickly by working/massaging/stretching out the muscles, increasing blood flow, flushing out toxins, and calming the body.
Travel Stress
The stress starts right before the trip when preparing, packing, and setting up the house while away.
The body tenses up when traveling to maintain focus, stay alert, and be ready for surprises.
When on vacation, having fun and doing all kinds of activities can make individuals forget to relax.
Waking up early and going to bed late can contribute to travel stress.
Chiropractic therapy will relieve all the strain and return the body to a relaxed state.
Relieve Back Pressure
Sitting for hours can increase pressure on the spine.
The muscles become stiff from the immobility accumulating pressure on the body and the mind, increasing the risk for other pains.
Chiropractic therapy will help lower heart rate and blood pressure relieving discomfort and stiffness.
Relax and Sleep
The internal body clock can get thrown off when traveling, resulting in little to no sleep and irritability.
Driving or flying will drain the body and mind, which can cause fatigue and anxiety.
Chiropractic will restore body and mind functions resulting in sleep and relaxation.
Spinal Decompression Texas
References
Crofford, Leslie J. “Chronic Pain: Where the Body Meets the Brain.” Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association vol. 126 (2015): 167-83.
Sadler, Sean G et al. “Restriction in lateral bending range of motion, lumbar lordosis, and hamstring flexibility predicts the development of low back pain: a systematic review of prospective cohort studies.” BMC musculoskeletal disorders vol. 18,1 179. 5 May. 2017, doi:10.1186/s12891-017-1534-0
Waterhouse, J et al. “The stress of travel.” Journal of sports sciences vol. 22,10 (2004): 946-65; discussion 965-6. doi:10.1080/02640410400000264
Nutrition is how the body utilizes consumed food. Nutrition plays a role in chronic pain; lifestyle behaviors can influence how food contributes to illness/diseases. A common cause of chronic pain is chronic systemic inflammation. Inflammation plays a role in many chronic disease conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Reducing inflammation can be achieved by adjusting diet to get individuals back to feeling better quickly and to aid them in maintaining and improving their overall health. Injury Medical Chiropractic and Functional Medicine Clinic offer diet and nutritional supplements guidance as part of a personalized treatment plan.
Inflammation
The purpose of the inflammatory response includes:
Isolate the dangerous bacteria, viruses, or damaged cells.
Flush out the dead cells and other damaging substances.
Reductions of comorbidities like obesity and cardiovascular disease.
Reducing healthcare costs.
Vitamin and Mineral Supplements
Diet and nutritional supplements provide added essential nutrients to a damaged, inflamed, or injured body. Dietary supplements improve overall health and wellness.
Vitamin D and calcium tablets help maintain optimal bone health, as low vitamin D levels can lead to back pain.
Vitamins E and C, combined with copper, help with blood production, tissue repair, and brain and skin health.
Folic acidcan help with joint pain and myofascial pain.
B Vitamins can help with pain and prevent liver dysfunction.
Nutritional supplements support the body until the body and/or organs have correctly healed. Recovery from an injury could cause body stress that can interfere with the healing process. Diet and nutritional supplements expedite the healing and recovery process by:
Helping overcome dietary deficiencies.
Improving immune system function.
Detoxifying toxins.
Contain antioxidants that help the body stay toxin-free.
Chiropractic restores and realigns the body by incorporating supplements to nourish the body tissues and recover optimally from injury.
InBody Nutrition
References
Dragan, Simona, et al. “Dietary Patterns and Interventions to Alleviate Chronic Pain.” Nutrients vol. 12,9 2510. 19 Aug. 2020, doi:10.3390/nu12092510
Lee, Mi Kyung, et al. “The use of nutritional guidance within chiropractic patient management: a survey of 333 chiropractors from the ACORN practice-based research network.” Chiropractic & manual therapies vol. 26 7. 20 Feb. 2018, doi:10.1186/s12998-018-0175-1
Li, Chuan, et al. “Macrophage polarization and meta-inflammation.” Translational research: the journal of laboratory and clinical medicine vol. 191 (2018): 29-44. doi:10.1016/j.trsl.2017.10.004
The digestive system in the body helps with the process of digesting food that the host consumes. The food being digested goes through a bio-transformation where it turns into nutrients and is stored in the intestines, liver, and gallbladder, where it turns into bile to be excreted out of the system to ensure a healthy functional gut system and body. But when disruptive factors like poor eating habits or gut issues start to affect the body and gallbladder, this causes many problems that can make an individual miserable. This affects their quality of life since they are dealing with painful issues in their bodies that overlap the primary source risk profiles. Today’s article looks at the gallbladder, how it functions with the body and parasympathetic nervous system, and how referred shoulder pain and gallbladder dysfunction are connected. We refer patients to certified providers specializing in gastroenterology and chiropractic treatments that help those with issues that affect their shoulders and gallbladder. We also guide our patients by referring to our associated medical providers based on their examination when it’s appropriate. We find that education is the solution to asking our providers insightful questions. Dr. Alex Jimenez DC provides this information as an educational service only. Disclaimer
What Is The Gallbladder?
The digestive system comprises the mouth, the internal organs from the GI tract, the liver, the gallbladder, and the anus, where food is consumed, digested, and excreted out of the body to keep it healthy. The gallbladder is a small organ that store and releases bile at the appropriate time into the intestines to be mixed with the digested foods to be excreted out of the body. This pear-shaped organ inflates and deflates like a balloon when it stores and releases bile while having a casual relationship with the nerves and hormones that help regulate the gallbladder functioning properly. Studies reveal that the ganglia become the target of causing the hormone cholecystokinin and the parasympathetic nerve to up or downregulate the neurotransmission to the gallbladder. This causes the gallbladder to be functional in the body.
What Are Its Functions In The Parasympathetic Nervous System?
So what are the functions that the gallbladder provides to the body? For starters, the parasympathetic nervous system allows the body to rest and digest the consumed food to be turned into nutrients. The parasympathetic nervous system also provides gallbladder stimulation as studies reveal that the gallbladder receives innervation from the parasympathetic nervous system connected to the vagus nerve that transmits information to the spine and the brain. Keeping and releasing bile from this pear-shaped organ helps regulate the gastrointestinal tract. This causal relationship between the gallbladder and the parasympathetic nerve is essential because the body needs to know when to store and release bile from the gallbladder, or it might trigger some issues that can do more harm to the body and even affect the gallbladder itself.
Do You Have Shoulder Pain?- Video
Have you been experiencing gut issues causing a sharp or dull ache in your back or sides? How about questionable shoulder pain that seems to come out of nowhere? Or are your experiencing inflammation in your digestive system? Many of these symptoms are signs of visceral-somatic pain affecting the gallbladder. Visceral-somatic pain is defined when there is damage to the organ, and it starts to affect the muscles in a different location in the body. The video above gives an excellent example of visceral-somatic pain in the gallbladder and the shoulder. Now many people wonder how shoulder pain is the mediator of the gallbladder? Well, inflammation in the liver and gallbladder causes the nerve roots to be hypersensitive and compressed. This leads to overlapping profiles, triggering pain in the shoulder muscles and associated with upper mid-back pain.
Referred Shoulder Pain & Gallbladder Dysfunction
Now say the individual is experiencing shoulder pain; however, when they rotate their shoulder, there is no pain? Where is the source of shoulder pain localized, and what is causing the issue? And why is it correlating to the gallbladder? This is known as referred pain, where the source of pain is poorly localized when it is located elsewhere. Studies reveal that gallbladder dysfunctions like cholecystitis might be associated with acute thoracolumbar shoulder pain. So what does this mean? It means that any referred pain that is the causation of shoulder pain gives the impression that something is wrong with the gallbladder. This would provide much-needed information when individuals are being examined by their physicians.
Conclusion
The body needs the digestive system to help process food the host consumes and excretes for a healthy functioning system. The gallbladder stores and releases bile to the digested food. This ensures that the nutrients and bile are transported and passed out of the body. When disruptive factors cause gut issues and affect the gallbladder, it can correlate to different problems impacting the body. An example would be gallbladder issues associated with shoulder pain. This is referred to as pain, which is from an affected organ and associated with the muscle in a different location. This can make the individual feel miserable and wonder what is going on with their shoulders when it might be something associated with their gallbladder. Available treatments can provide better knowledge to determine the problem and how to alleviate the issues.
References
Carter, Chris T. “Acute Thoracolumbar Pain Due to Cholecystitis: A Case Study.” Chiropractic & Manual Therapies, BioMed Central, 18 Dec. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4683782/.
Jones, Mark W, et al. “Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis, Gallbladder.” In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL), StatPearls Publishing, 8 Nov. 2021, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459288/.
Ear problems like blockages or congestion can cause irritation and pain, as well as symptoms such as dizziness, ear discomfort, headaches, and sinus pain that can lead to infection. This condition can happen to anyone but is prevalent in children, individuals that live in high altitudes, and individuals who suffer from allergies. Spinal misalignments can cause interference to the nervous system that can create problems elsewhere in the body, like the ears.
If there is neck misalignment along with pinched, tangled nerve/s signal transmissions can misfire or cut off messages disrupting the process of draining the Eustachian tube. This creates a buildup of bacteria and fluid, which can cause pain and pressure. Chiropractic decompression treatment uses gentle manipulation of the cervical spine to release the pressure affecting the ear.
Ear Problems
Bacteria or viruses cause ear infections in the middle ear. Infection often results from another illness like cold, sore throat, flu, respiratory disease, or allergies that causes congestion and swelling of the nasal passages, throat, and eustachian tubes.
Eustachian Tubes
The tubes functions include:
Regulating air pressure in the middle ear
Resupply fresh air in the ear
Drain the middle ear
The eustachian tubes are two canals that connect the middle ear to the throat and nasal cavity, known as the nasopharynx. (The eustachian tubes are more narrow in children, which makes them difficult to drain and more likely to get clogged.)When the lining of these canals comes under stress, they can become inflamed/swollen, blocking or filling with fluid causing excessive pressure and pain. This fluid can become infected and cause ear infection symptoms.
If the ear problem is connected to a misalignment of the cervical spine, the following symptoms may be experienced:
Fluid/effusion stays in the middle ear for an extended time.
It can build up over and over, despite no infection.
It can also affect hearing.
Misalignment in the upper cervical spine can cause muscles to flex awkwardly/irregularly, disrupting the opening and closing of the eustachian tubes and their positioning. This often causes inflammation along the eustachian canal, upper throat, and nasal cavity. If left untreated, the inflammation can develop into an infection, causing swelling and/or fluid buildup in the inner and middle ear. Common symptoms of middle ear infections in adults include:
Pain in one or both ears
Hearing is muffled
Sore throat
Fluid drainage from the ear
Chiropractic Realignment
Treatments are helpful for individuals who want to reduce taking antibiotics, which can minimize immunity by destroying the healthy bacteria in the gut. Chiropractic is a simple and effective way to treat ear problems. Realigning the vertebrae relieves tissue inflammation/swelling around the Eustachian tube to allow drainage, relieve pressure, and restore health.
Spinal Decompression Chiropractor
References
Collins, Rachael, et al. “Paralysis from an ear infection: a severe case of otitis externa leading to acute complete cervical cord syndrome.” BMJ case reports vol. 14,12 e245594. 1 Dec. 2021, doi:10.1136/bcr-2021-245594
Harmes, Kathryn M et al. “Otitis media: diagnosis and treatment.” American family physician vol. 88,7 (2013): 435-40.
Laulajainen Hongisto, Anu et al. “Severe Acute Otitis Media and Acute Mastoiditis in Adults.” The journal of international advanced otology vol. 12,3 (2016): 224-230. doi:10.5152/iao.2016.2620
Murphy, D R. “Chiropractic rehabilitation of the cervical spine.” Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics vol. 23,6 (2000): 404-8. doi:10.1067/mmt.2000.108143
Polkinghorn, B S. “Treatment of cervical disc protrusions via instrumental chiropractic adjustment.” Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics vol. 21,2 (1998): 114-21.
Everyone around the world has dealt with pain that makes them feel uncomfortable and has them place their hands on the location where the pain is originating in their bodies. Many factors can become issues in the body, like a poor, unhealthy lifestyle that causes problems in the gut system and develop painful symptoms that affect the intestines. Stressful events that cause headaches that affect the neck and upper back muscles or gut issues that cause discomfort in the abdominal and back region. All these issues are known as referred pain, where a person feels pain in one part of their body, but it is caused by a different source of pain in a different location. An example would be an individual with back pain, but the pain is originating in their abdominal organs. Today’s article looks at various issues that mask low back pain in the body, how organ issues mimic low back pain, and how to alleviate these issues affecting the body. We refer patients to certified providers specializing in gastroenterology and chiropractic treatments that help those with issues that affect their back and gut system. We also guide our patients by referring to our associated medical providers based on their examination when it’s appropriate. We find that education is the solution to asking our providers insightful questions. Dr. Alex Jimenez DC provides this information as an educational service only. Disclaimer
Different Issues Masking Low Back Pain
Have you experienced discomfort in your abdominal region causing pain in your lower back? How about pelvic issues that are causing bowel discomfort? Or constipation issues that are compressing the nerves in your lower back? These signs and symptoms correlate to visceral-somatic pain, defined as poorly localized pain characterized by irritated internal organs that cause muscle hypersensitivity from the same nerve. So what does this mean for a person experiencing back issues affecting their quality of life? Well, this might be an indication of the individual that might be suffering from gastrointestinal problems that are correlating to low back pain. Studies reveal any disturbances causing musculoskeletal or gastrointestinal complaints that could induce referred pain through the sympathetic nervous system. An example will be if the body suffers from infections from the kidneys that are associated with low back pain.
So how would the kidneys be associated with low back pain? What is the correlation? For example, a person is constantly eating foods with either a high salt content or a high protein in their system. These high food contents begin to form kidney stones in one or both organs, thus causing a sharp pain that triggers low back pain. As the kidney stones pass through the urinary tract, it administrates radiating pain to the body’s lower abdominal and pelvic region. Another example of issues that can mask low back is constipation in the abdominal area associated with pelvic dysfunction. How does this correlate to the lower back? Think of your abdominal organs overlapped by risk profiles associated with gut disorders. Signs like hypothyroidism, SIBO, celiac disease, or IBS can increase the risk associated with pelvic floor dysfunction, which causes bloating and constipation to the abdominal organs. These issues are co-morbidities to IBS as studies reveal that the pelvic floor and abdominal muscles are co-activated to increase spine stability and intra-abdominal pressure. Now it may seem not a bad thing to the body unless the individual is constantly standing for an extended period or is obese, thus becoming a mediator for the host to suffer from low back pain while being associated with pelvic dysfunction.
Organ Issues Mimicking Low Back Pain- Video
Have you been feeling muscle tenderness in the lower extremities of your body? How about gut issues that are associated with low back pain? Or are you feeling bowel dysfunction in your pelvic region? All these issues correlate to viscerosomatic pain, where the infected organ is causing issues to the muscle in a different location. The video above explains how various organ issues can mimic spinal and back pain in the body. One of the examples that the video explains is how kidney infections are associated with back pain. Studies reveal that visceral pain originating from the upper urinary tract coincidently correlates with the characteristics of referred pain and changes in the somatic tissues of the body.
Alleviating Issues Affecting The Body
Say an individual is suffering from low back pain issues; as they get their mandatory examination, they explain to their physician about their low back pain and what is happening. Once the suffering individual is situated, the physician begins to look over the body where the pain is located, either by physical examination or through the intake form they are looking over. So what does this implicates in the body? Well, studies have revealed that systemic pathologies of the visceral organs can mimic or mask musculoskeletal pain. An example would be someone who is experiencing gastrointestinal issues in their gut, and it’s triggering muscle spasms in the back. This causes the nerve roots to be hypersensitive to the visceral organs and increases the risk associated with low back pain.
Conclusion
Dealing with pain is no joke, primarily when the pain is located in a different body region. Sometimes the pain can be an organ issue that mimics muscle pain in the back. This is known as viscero-somatic pain, defined where infected organs are either mimicking or triggering muscle issues in different body locations. This causation is usually due to various factors like unhealthy lifestyle habits affecting the visceral organs and affecting the muscles that correspond to the organs, like IBS issues affecting the lower back. Available treatments are there to figure out what problems affect the body and provide a better understanding to alleviate them.
References
Basso, Francesca Lo, et al. “Manual Treatment for Kidney Mobility and Symptoms in Women with Nonspecific Low Back Pain and Urinary Infections.” De Gruyter, De Gruyter, 1 May 2021, www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/jom-2020-0288/html.
Bussey, Melanie Dawn, et al. “Is Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Associated with Development of Transient Low Back Pain during Prolonged Standing? A Protocol.” Clinical Medicine Insights. Women’s Health, SAGE Publications, 27 May 2019, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6537301/.
J;, Stowell T;Cioffredi W;Greiner A;Cleland. “Abdominal Differential Diagnosis in a Patient Referred to a Physical Therapy Clinic for Low Back Pain.” The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Nov. 2005, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16355918/.
Lacy, Brian E, et al. “Management of Chronic Abdominal Distension and Bloating.” Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology : the Official Clinical Practice Journal of the American Gastroenterological Association, 1 Apr. 2020, www.cghjournal.org/article/S1542-3565(20)30433-X/fulltext.
PJ;, Pedersen KV;Drewes AM;Frimodt-Møller PC;Osther. “Visceral Pain Originating from the Upper Urinary Tract.” Urological Research, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 16 May 2010, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20473661/.
Reflex pain is a complex condition that involves the body’s pain withdrawal reflexfailing to turn off after the event that triggered the pain, so the pain sensations continue. This is a neurological condition known as the withdrawal reflex. It occurs when the body and brain undergo a chain of reactions to remove an affected body part from dangerous situations/stimuli. A typical example is a vehicle crash or accident. During the process, the body’s reflex muscle\s in the injured area tighten to protect the specific body part/s from further damage.
The reflex can feel like a muscle spasm that goes away over time. However, in the case of reflex pain, the signals keep firing. Reflex pain can occur all over the body as the muscles overcompensate to handle the prolonged pain; secondary injuries often develop. An example could be reflex pain in the ankle caused by injury or problems in the hips and back, where the individual tries to avoid moving the ankle in a specific way to prevent and avoid the pain symptoms. Individuals with reflex pain also experience headaches and referred spine and extremity pain. Reflex pain can become a cycle of symptoms that include:
Unusual tightness
Stiffness
Pain
Contracture – hardening or shortening of the affected muscles, tendons, or other tissues.
Decreased functional abilities.
Somatic Pain
Somatic pain causes receptors in tissues including the skin, muscles, connective tissues, joints, and skeleton to be activated. Stimuli like force trauma, vibration, extreme temperature, or inflammation/swelling activate these receptors. The pain is often described as:
Aching
Gnawing
Cramping
Sharp
Somatic pain is often localized to a particular area that is constant and stimulated by movement. There are two types.
Superficial painoccurs when everyday injuries activate pain receptors in the skin and mucous membranes.
Deep somatic pain occurs when stimuli activate pain receptors deeper in the body, including the tendons, joints, bones, and muscles. Deep body pain usually feels more like aching.
Pain can be confined to a local area or radiate to other areas of the body, depending on the extent of the injury.
Somatic pain can come from a variety of different potential causes that include:
Injury to joints or bones.
Trauma.
Fall or collision that damages connective tissues.
Sometimes these reflexes can stay in the on position and keep the body from achieving full relaxation.
In the nervous system, a body part is stimulated, and the message travels through the spinal cord and into the brain. The information is processed, then sent back through the spinal cord to the level that activates the specific body part. The reflexes transmit faster staying at the same spinal level without having to travel to the brain and back again.
During reflex pain, the body’s muscles are unable to relax, which is necessary for motion/movement. This prolonged contraction generates added pain and causes imbalances that can decrease excitabilityin the muscles. This can increase the activation of brain receptors that receive pain signals to respond by telling them to shorten and contract.
Therapy
Body misalignment can cause muscles to spasm, causing the nerves to stretch in an awkward way, compress, and get twisted and tangled around other nerves or other tissues. This disrupts communication resulting in pain, illness, and ailments that can lead to other health problems. Chiropractic care can address reflex pain by realigning the spine and improving joint motion and nerve conduction.
Chiropractic restores the body to its full and proper function by activating the natural healing abilities. Manual and mechanical spinal decompression realigns the vertebrae, reducing swelling, blockages, and nerve stress. A comprehensive examination will identify potential dysfunctional areas of the body using palpitations to identify which muscles are involved. Once identified, chiropractic, massage, and physical therapy options can be prescribed to rebalance the body’s muscles, and restore their ability to contract and relax normally.
Patient education will be provided concerning self-assessment techniques, instruction on how to treat pain, and an anti-inflammatory diet.
An exercise and stretching program will help maintain the adjustments, keep the body flexible, and strengthen the body.
Patients are helped to understand how to take control of their pain.
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References
Biurrun-Manresa J, Neziry A, Curatolo M, Arendt-Nielson L, Anderson O. Test-retest reliability of the nociceptive withdrawal reflex and electrical pain thresholds after single and repeated stimulation in patients with chronic low back pain. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2011;111:83-92
Derderian C, Tadi P. Physiology, Withdrawal Response. [Updated 2021 Nov 12]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK544292/
Muir, J M, and H Vernon. “Complex regional pain syndrome and chiropractic.” Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics vol. 23,7 (2000): 490-7. doi:10.1067/mmt.2000.108816
Neziri A, Haesler S, Steen P, et al. Generalized expansion of nociceptive reflex receptive fields in chronic pain patients. Pain. 2010;151(3):798-805
Szynkowicz, Peter, and Anthony Petrucci 4th. “Chiropractic Care of a Patient With Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type 1 (CRPS-1): A Case Report.” Journal of chiropractic medicine vol. 19,2 (2020): 145-151. doi:10.1016/j.jcm.2020.05.001
Yezierski R, Vierck C. Reflex and pain behaviors are not equivalent: Lessons from spinal cord injury. Pain. 2010;151(3):569-577
In the body, the heart is a vital organ that pumps blood to all the muscles, organs, tissues, and ligaments that require the body to function and move. As part of the cardiovascular system, the heart keeps the body alive by supplying nutrients and disposing of waste and carbon dioxide away from the body. Various factors can affect the body and the heart as well stressful events, unhealthy eating habits, limited physical activities, or autoimmune conditions can cause strain on the heart. Still, they can correlate to different symptoms in the body. This causes an overlap of risk profiles that may feel something is wrong with the heart but might affect another body part. Today’s article focuses on viscero-somatic pain affecting more than the heart muscle, how referred pain is defined, and various ways for treating viscero-somatic pain in the body. We refer patients to certified providers specializing in cardiovascular and chiropractic treatments that help those with issues that affect their hearts. We also guide our patients by referring to our associated medical providers based on their examination when it’s appropriate. We find that education is the solution to asking our providers insightful questions. Dr. Alex Jimenez DC provides this information as an educational service only. Disclaimer
Visceral-Somatic Pain Affecting More Than The Heart
Are you experiencing radiating pain affecting your neck, arms, or back? How about feeling discomfort in your chest? Do gut issues seem to cause a burning sensation affecting your chest? Many of these symptoms overlap in risk profiles that seem like issues in the heart but can refer to something else affecting the body. This is known as viscero-somatic pain, usually defined as pain coming from the internal organs affecting the muscles that share the same nerve. Studies revealed that the autonomic nervous system mediates visceral-somatic pain. For the heart, the parasympathetic innervation comes from the cardiac branches of the vagus nerves connected to the spine and the brain. Since there is extensive autonomic innervation of the heart, the vagus nerve has a minor role in afferent pain transmission signaling.
An example would be having esophageal issues that are causing chest pains in your chest. So how would that correlate to the heart? Think of it as a person experiencing chest pains and whose brain is being signaled that something is wrong with their heart. Then, when they get treated, their results show that it was esophageal issues. Studies have revealed that spinal neurons receive input from a distal esophagus and receive the same information from the heart through viscero-somatic and viscero-visceral convergence. So what does this mean? This means that the sympathetic innervation of the heart is in a casual relationship to the first five thoracic spinal nerves. This indicates that some pain fibers affecting the heart are directly from the upper thoracic spine. Additional studies have mentioned that the vagus nerve connected to the upper thoracic spine can influence harmful afferent signals of the visceral organs to involve pain and joint stiffness in multiple organs and body structures.
Visceral Pain Explained- Video
Do you feel pain occurring on your shoulders or neck? How about severe pressure on your chest that might be something else? Or have you noticed issues that are affecting your heart are affecting your chest? Many of these are signs of visceral pain, where the pain of the damaged organ affects the muscle in a different body location. The video above explains visceral pain and uses an example of the cardiac muscle being affected by visceral pain. Studies reveal that the sensory input from different visceral organs can mimic cardiac pain due to viscero-somatic convergence of the cardiac input affecting the spinothalamic tract neurons in the spine to cause back issues in the thoracic region. So what does this implicates to the body? Well, say a person is experiencing chest and shoulder pains in their body; however, they’re experiencing heart problems that also affect them.
Treating Visceral-Somatic Pain In The Body
So, a person starts experiencing chest pain radiating from heart issues and goes to the doctor to see what is wrong with them. The physicians will begin to check on their hearts to see if anything is wrong or will be looking at their spine and chest through manual examination to see what is the issue that is affecting their bodies. So what does this mean to the body? Well, it could indicate that joint and muscle dysfunction in the neck and thorax is causing non-cardiac issues in the body. The influence of the spinal nerves on the cardiovascular function of the heart, since the afferent and parasympathetic efferents innervation of the heart, could disturb the upper cervical subluxation as the vagus nerve is being compressed. This correlates to other visceral organs mimicking cardiac pain and being the cause of musculoskeletal issues in the back.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the heart is a vital organ in the body that pumps blood to all the muscles, organs, tissues, and ligaments for functionality and nutrients distribution. The heart also share nerves in the parasympathetic innervation that connects to the vagus nerves which connects to the spine and brain to send information. However, various factors like lifestyle habits can affect the heart muscle and cause the individual chest pains that the brain is getting the signals that something is wrong with the heart. This is known a viscero-somatic pain where affected organs can cause muscle issues in the body in a different location. Treatments are available to figure out what the problem is going on with the body to understand better how to alleviate these viscero-somatic issues.
References
Foreman, Robert D, et al. “Mechanisms of Cardiac Pain.” Comprehensive Physiology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Apr. 2015, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25880519/.
Garrison, David W, et al. “Viscerosomatic Convergence onto Feline Spinal Neurons from Esophagus, Heart and Somatic Fields: Effects of Inflammation.” Pain, U.S. National Library of Medicine, June 1992, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1408304/.
Leach, Austin, and Mike Fisher. “Myocardial Ischaemia and Cardiac Pain – a Mysterious Relationship.” British Journal of Pain, SAGE Publications, Feb. 2013, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4590151/.
Soares, Bruno, et al. “Accuracy of Physical Assessment in Nursing for Cervical Spine Joint Pain and Stiffness: Pilot Study Protocol.” JMIR Research Protocols, JMIR Publications, 17 Dec. 2021, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8726037/.
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