The word “compensation” when referring to the body is thrown around a lot when it comes to pain. For example, a patient may say “my low back pain started on the right but now it is on the left. It must be compensation.” But what exactly is compensation and how does it affect the body?
Compensation is the changes, sometimes very subtle, that the body makes to continue to function in the presence of injury or joint and/or muscle dysfunction. A prime example is flat feet. When someone has flat feet, there is inward rotation of the lower leg bone. With that comes tightness in the outside lower leg muscles, stress on the knee, and other compensation patterns. Left unchecked, it doesn’t matter how much you treat the leg and knee, the problems will return until the flat feet are addressed.
This is just one example of a compensation pattern. The following list are just a few common problems caused by compensation:
- Upper crossed syndrome
- Shoulder impingement
- IT band syndrome
- Winged scapula
- Patellofemoral tracking syndrome
Why does this matter? Because when someone comes in with chronic pain, instead of just chasing the pain, practitioners needs to look to why the pain is present in the first place. If you have any questions about whether your symptoms are caused by compensation patterns, give Harlow Chiropractic a call. The goal of care is to not only decrease pain, but also improve function.
