Chronic Pain, Chiropractic, and Functional Neurology: Getting to the Root Cause
Chronic pain is one of the most common and frustrating health conditions people face today. Whether it’s lower back pain, neck pain, or persistent joint discomfort, many patients find themselves stuck in a cycle of temporary relief without long-term resolution. The reason? Most treatments focus on managing symptoms rather than addressing the underlying dysfunction driving the pain. That’s why we recommend you consult with our chiropractor and functional medicine doctor in Grand Rapids, MI.
In the meantime, here’s what you need to know about getting to the root cause of chronic pain.
Long-Term Effects of Chronic Pain
At its core, chronic pain is not just a structural problem—it is also a neurological one. Research shows that ongoing pain can lead to changes in the brain and nervous system, a process known as central sensitization (Woolf, 2011). This means the brain becomes more sensitive to pain signals, even when tissue damage has healed. Over time, this can alter movement patterns, posture, balance, and even how the body processes sensory input.
This is where integrating chiropractic care with functional neurology offers a powerful, root-cause approach.
How Chiropractic Care Helps
Chiropractic care focuses on restoring proper joint motion and reducing mechanical stress on the spine and nervous system. Restricted or dysfunctional joints—especially in the spine—can send abnormal signals to the brain, contributing to poor motor control and chronic pain patterns. Spinal adjustments have been shown to influence the central nervous system, improving proprioception (body awareness) and reducing pain (Haavik & Murphy, 2012).
How Functional Neurology Makes a Difference
Functional neurology builds on this by directly addressing how the brain and nervous system are functioning. It evaluates key systems such as eye movements, balance, coordination, and sensory processing to identify areas of neurological imbalance. For example, dysfunction in the cerebellum—a brain region responsible for coordination and posture—can contribute to chronic lower back pain and instability (Moulton et al., 2017).
An Integrated Approach to Chronic Pain
When chiropractic and functional neurology are combined, care moves beyond simply “treating the pain” and instead focuses on retraining the brain and body together.
This integrated approach may include:
- Chiropractic adjustments to restore spinal motion
- Eye movement and visual stabilization exercises to improve brain-body coordination
- Balance and postural training to enhance cerebellar function
- Neuromuscular therapies to normalize muscle activation patterns
- Advanced therapies such as laser, PEMF, or spinal decompression to support tissue healing
By targeting both the structural and neurological components of pain, patients often experience more lasting improvements. Instead of the body falling back into the same dysfunctional patterns, it begins to relearn healthier movement and control.
Another key advantage of this model is its ability to reduce disability and improve quality of life. is a leading cause of missed work and reduced daily function worldwide (GBD 2016 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators, 2017). Addressing the root cause not only helps reduce pain but also restores the ability to move, work, and enjoy life again.
The Takeaway
The takeaway is simple: chronic pain is rarely just about the site of pain. It is a whole-system problem involving the brain, body, and nervous system. By integrating chiropractic care with functional neurology, we can shift from short-term symptom relief to long-term correction and stability.
Request a 12-Point Functional Exam
If you’ve been dealing with and feel like you’ve tried everything, it may be time to look deeper—because the real problem may not be where you feel it, but how your brain and body are functioning together. To request a 12-point functional exam, call the Advanced Integrative Health Center at (616) 453-0600 or contact us online. Our chiropractor and functional medicine doctor in Grand Rapids, MI, is ready to help relieve your chronic pain!
References
- Woolf CJ. Central sensitization: Implications for the diagnosis and treatment of pain. Pain. 2011.
- Haavik H, Murphy B. The role of spinal manipulation in addressing disordered sensorimotor integration. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2012.
- Moulton EA et al. Chronic pain and the cerebellum. Brain. 2017.
- GBD 2016 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators. Lancet. 2017.
