Last week I had a patient (a fellow surfer/waterman) come into the office complaining of severe muscle spasm. The pain was so intense he couldn’t turn his neck to either side. After his adjustment he asked me “What else should I do?” He was very surprised by my answer when I told him to do nothing, not even stretch.  Let your body go through the healing process itself without interfering. 

Did you know that a muscle spasm is ALWAYS protective in nature? 

• If a muscle is injured, it contracts (spasms) to keep from being passively stretched too far and tearing more. 

• Whenever a joint is injured, the muscles contract (spasm) to prevent excessive motion in the joint to again prevent further injury. 

• This approach allows the body to release the spasm in the right amount at the right time, always providing exactly the correct degree of protection.

• One of the most important functions of inflammation is that it initiates something called the “healing cascade.” This is a series of chemical reactions that is necessary for healing to occur correctly and completely. If you try to stop the first steps through artificial means, you interfere the entire healing process!

• Even if you interfere with the initial steps of the healing cascade inflammation will eventually will return.  The best way to turn an acute inflammatory condition into a chronic inflammatory condition is to keep stopping the natural healing cascade.

The truth is that all of the body’s functions – both the pleasant and unpleasant – serve valuable purposes in the healing process. But, most of us have been raised in the medical mindset and have been taught that things like fever, muscle spasms, diarrhea, vomiting, production of mucus, and inflammation – are all “mistakes” our bodies have made.  God doesn’t make junk! You were made from two cells into an estimated 70 trillion cell being. For a few seconds think about the Innate Intelligence it took to achieve this. Trust that the power that made you can also heal you.

Always in Health,

Dr. Kaler