Have you heard of the term ‘referred pain’ before? As chiropractors, it’s something we look out for when we are treating our patients. Read on for the lowdown on what it is and how chiropractic treatment may help.
What is referred pain?
Referred pain is pain that arises in one part of the body that originally comes from somewhere else in the body. A well-known example is when jaw, neck or left arm pain occurs during a heart attack. There’s no injury in the arm during a heart attack, it’s actually a case of the brain mixing up signals.
Another example of referred pain, is back or shoulder aches that arise from gallstones. There may be no other symptoms of gallstones aside from a backache.
Headaches caused by referred pain from the neck are known as cervicogenic headaches. This usually occurs on one side of the head and is experienced as a constant dull ache. It can be accompanied by reduced range of motion in the neck, and aches in the shoulder and arm.
What causes referred pain?
Referred pain is thought to be caused by an issue with our neural pathways. When you experience pain, a signal is carried to alert your brain. The brain then alerts the body with a specific signal. Sometimes this signal can go to a different part of the body than the origin of the pain.
What types of referred pain do chiropractors treat?
As chiros, we are trained to look for misalignment of the spine that may be causing referred pain. We treat patients that have all kinds of examples of symptoms, including headaches, shoulder aches, pain in the organs and muscles, and hip aches that are caused by misalignment of the spine.
We take a holistic approach to treatment. When you come into the clinic, we will ask you questions about your symptoms and medical history. When examining your spine we will look for any spinal misalignment that could be causing referred pain. If we suspect your back aches may be referred pain caused by a more serious condition (e.g. kidney stones or gallstones) we will discuss this with you and advise you to follow up and seek appropriate medical care from your doctor.
Need help managing chronic pain? We’re here to help! Give us a call (03) 5381 1892, or email us at email info@back4life.com.au to make an appointment!