Day and night we are all bombarded by stress. The stress may come from a traumatic blow such as an automobile accident, allergic reaction, surgical trauma, emotional upset, from severe exposure to heat or cold, or from more insidious causes such as malnutrition or sleep deprivation or sustained periods of overwork.

So long as our bodies can cope with this stress, we all continue to adapt to life's challenges and live within what we call the body's "elastic limits," so-called because the human body is like a rubber band, free and pliable, and able to tolerate an often surprising degree of loads and stresses. However, if any of these stressors prove to be too strong or prolonged for the body to absorb, we exceed these elastic limits, and the rubber band stretches too far and breaks. When this occurs, we have moved from simple stress to what we call "strain."

Strain manifests as muscle tension - muscles that are unable to fully relax after use and remain in a state of fatigue. Tense and tight muscles limit the bloodstream's capacity to carry away the waste products that have accumulated in the tissue as a result of metabolism. These "fatigue poisons" (as they are known) that are left behind are stored in the muscle tissue where they cause pain. Ultimately, tight muscles will pull the spine out of alignment which can result in neck, shoulder and low back pains.

Logan Basic Chiropractic Technique treats the muscles that control spinal balance in order to release this tension. The proper leverage, applied ever so lightly at the right spot, will cause the entire spine to move towards balance. This method is similar in principle to that used to change a flat tire. The proper leverage of a car jack will allow a comparatively small person to elevate a heavy car right off the ground.

Before treatment begins, the doctor analyzes the patient's spine while he or she stands in front of a plumb line. Further examination may also be made with the patient lying face up and/or face down on the table. Then, with the patient lying face down, the doctor places a very light pressure on a pre-determined "leverage spot" on the sacral bone in the low back, employing the same principle described in using a car jack. This spot is held for 10 to 15 minutes while the doctor lightly rubs the back muscles with his other hand, coaxing them to release tension.

In the science of physiology, there is a theorem (known as Starling's Law) which states that very light pressure is effective because a minimal stimulus gets the maximum response. Experience has shown that strong pressures on the muscle often cause the body to tighten to protect itself, but a light pressure generally produces a deep relaxation.

Basic Technique treatment, in this gentle but powerful manner, causes a release of deep muscle tension. Fatigue poisons are then immediately eliminated and the effects of strain are reduced in the body. A more flexible and elastic tone is restored to the total body, and with that, the body's own self-healing mechanism is awakened.

The number of treatments needed to break the stress/strain cycle is different for each person, because each person's medical history and physical makeup are necessarily different. Treatment determination will depend upon the patient's age, the nature of the disorder, the length of time it has been there, and most importantly, the individual's responsiveness to treatment.

All healing is truly self-healing, but a body in deep strain often cannot garner the forces to restore well-being on its own. It is then that an intervention such as Basic Technique can be employed to reduce strain significantly and engage the body's own self-healing energies.

© Copyright 1999 The Friedman Chiropractic Center, Inc.. All Rights Reserved.