Mismatch theory: Are you aware?

Quick reminder we are now only a few hours from closing the CCCN enrollment for another 6 months.

Check your freebies here:

In terms of bone mineral density (BMD), do you know the difference the T score and the Z score?

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/825978017/d99f188338

And check out part 1 of our migraine protocol.

https://vimeo.com/814730780/e0ea8b7031

Now to this week’s newsletter……mismatch theory.

If you have never seen it, give first dates a go on Channel 4.

Two people get together for a blind date, matched by channel 4.

What could possibly go wrong?

Well, loads actually, it can be frankly painful to watch, funny, sad and sometimes heart warming.

It also makes me really, REALLY excited to be happily married and not to have to go on blind dates.

2010, fresh-faced and cutting the cheese.

This week we saw two lovely northern ladies, one of whom has some quite distinctive make-up on.

I know the trend these days is towards “more is more”, but I have always thought the point was to make you look better but not just make it look like you are covered in make up?

Her face is heavily bronzed, you could say brown. And her neck is proof of her natural skin tone.

The contrast is frankly hypnotic to me.

Check it out.

She actually came across as a really lovely young lady.

Our eyes and our brains are primed to spot obvious mismatches. It’s hard not to stare and wonder if everyone else can see it too?

In clinic, I am equally obsessed with mismatches.

Once we have established the symptoms through a good history, when we do an exam, I want to match the symptoms to the exam findings as best I can.

What is generating the pain, and can I find evidence to fit the pattern and severity of it?

If not, you have to consider is the pain coming from something non neuro-mechanical?

Something pathological?

I have learned that the hard way in the first 10 years of practice, and it doesn’t feel good, lesson learned.

As much as I am functionally orientated, you have got to listen to symptoms too, to make sure they are following the functional changes.

If you believe that the pain is coming from a functional neuro-mechanical issue, then as that improves, so should the symptoms.

If the pain is coming from a damaged tissue(s), then they too should begin to heal and have less inflammation.

One thing we are keen to teach on the CCCN is when to use nutrition.

We do not want to try to (necessarily) apply it to everyone that walks through the door.

I do want to pick those that will NEED it to recover with my neuro-mechanical care at the first visit, so I can implement it ASAP.

First warning sign:

If they have bilateral pain, then this is a yellow/orange flag.

How could you mechanically irritate both shoulders?

Both knees?

Both wrists?

I mean it is unlikely isn’t it, unless you have some kind of trauma or very weird job?

If it is bilateral NEUROLOGICAL symptoms, then, red flag time.

Unless they have a massive disc bulge or some kind of myelopathy, then we are going to be looking at B12 as a priority.

Trying to adjusting that nervous system to release innate…..while they demyelinate……not such a good look.

Or an autoimmune issue, and looking at gluten as the first culprit.

Gluten neuropathy, it’s a thing.

Or more subtle, is the presence of multiple neuro-mechanical symptoms that are asymmetrical.

The challenge here is they are often the result of a lowered pain threshold exposing actual issues, that were latent previously

The lower pain threshold the “highlights” or “exposes” the issue and so when you examine them, it fits a pattern you recognise.

But there is lots of them, shoulder and elbow, knee, low back, neck and on.

But these folk tend to initially respond and then plateau, and then it all feels a bit disappointing and frustrating.

If they miss an adjustment or start to come less frequently, they all too soon lose their gains.

It is true these symptoms can be the result of a pattern of bodywide torsion (TMJ/dental, cervical primary, dropped foot arch, or surgical scar).

And they might need your special treatment…..but they might ALSO need some nutritional input.

That is our specialty……

Next time we will dig a little more into this concept, until then…..