Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain and Disability: A Problem of Trapped Lactic Acid
Issue:
Volume 7, Issue 4, December 2022
Pages:
43-50
Received:
8 December 2022
Accepted:
23 December 2022
Published:
17 January 2023
Abstract: Chronic musculoskeletal pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide yet continues to be the most misunderstood of all illnesses. Historically and still today, the assumption has been that chronic back, neck, shoulder, knee, and other areas of chronic pain are the consequence of some type of injury or disease process in the affected joints and associated tissues. However, the evidence points to a different problem altogether. A thorough analysis of the anatomy and physiology of the neuromuscular system suggests that most of the pathological findings that are associated with chronic musculoskeletal pain are not the cause of the pain but the consequence of a much more subtle but highly treatable problem. Skeletal muscles produce lactic acid, and when this natural byproduct of muscle metabolism begins to accumulate in muscle tissue, it distorts the neural feedback that allows the brain to properly regulate the resting tension of the affected muscle. As tension in the muscle increases, more lactic acid is produced, thus creating a vicious circle of tension and toxicity that ultimately causes local nerves to become irritated by the tightening muscle. In addition to causing pain, the nerve irritation causes the muscle to become even more spastic, the consequence of which is a downward spiral of pain and disability from which there is no natural escape. Though some of the therapies that are currently available for chronic musculoskeletal pain may provide symptom relief acutely, they fail to get to the root of the problem; they fail to unlock the lactic acid that is accumulating in the muscle. Hence, they fail to provide any lasting symptom relief. This review will discuss the theoretical mechanisms behind the most common treatment approaches to chronic musculoskeletal pain and discuss them in light of a simple, non-invasive way to both treat and prevent this highly common and often disabling condition.
Abstract: Chronic musculoskeletal pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide yet continues to be the most misunderstood of all illnesses. Historically and still today, the assumption has been that chronic back, neck, shoulder, knee, and other areas of chronic pain are the consequence of some type of injury or disease process in the affected joints and...
Show More
