Understanding the Nervous System:The Pain Gate Theory and the Risks of Self-Adjusting Your Spine

"Self Adjusting Your Spine- Chasing A Natural High For Your Nervous System"

Many people have experienced neck or back discomfort and reach for a quick fix—sometimes in the form of self-adjusting their spine. While cracking your own neck or back may provide temporary relief, it can also create bigger problems if done repeatedly. To understand why this happens, it helps to explore the Pain Gate Theory and how chiropractic care works to restore nervous system balance safely.

What is the Pain Gate Theory?

The Pain Gate Theory, proposed by Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall, explains how your body perceives and modulates pain. Pain signals from an injury don’t just travel directly to your brain—they pass through a “gate” in your spinal cord. This gate determines whether the pain signals reach your brain or are blocked.

• Large nerve fibers: These carry non-painful signals such as touch, pressure, or movement. Stimulating these fibers can help close the gate, reducing the perception of pain.

• Small nerve fibers: These carry pain signals from injury or inflammation. When these fibers dominate, the gate opens, sending pain signals to your brain.

This gating mechanism can also be influenced by your emotions and nervous system state, which is why stress, anxiety, and chronic tension can amplify pain.

In simple terms, this system acts like a filter. Your brain decides which sensations are worth focusing on—and which can be ignored.

Why Self-Adjusting Can Be Problematic

When someone frequently adjusts their own spine, it may seem like the pain is gone, but self-adjustments rarely address the root cause. In fact, repeated self-adjustments can create a cycle of temporary relief and long-term issues:

1. Temporary Pain Relief

Self-adjusting can activate the large nerve fibers, which momentarily closes the pain gate. This provides short-term relief and may feel satisfying, but the effect is temporary and doesn’t treat the underlying issue causing discomfort.

2. Overstimulation and Sensitivity

Frequent self-manipulation can overstimulate the nervous system. Instead of calming the pain, it can make small nerve fibers more sensitive, keeping the pain gate open and making discomfort worse over time.

3. Joint Instability

Repeated self-adjustments may move joints beyond their natural limits, causing hypermobility. Over time, this can lead to instability, misalignments, and increased risk of injury.

4. Muscle Imbalances and Compensation

Your body may compensate for temporary relief by using different muscles or postures. These compensatory patterns can create tension, imbalances, and even chronic pain.

5. Potential Nerve Damage

Improper force or technique during self-adjustment can irritate nerves, pinch spinal discs, or in severe cases, damage the spinal cord. This can lead to pain, tingling, numbness, or even long-term dysfunction.

6. Interference with Healing

Your nervous system naturally protects injured areas by limiting movement. Self-adjusting can override this protective mechanism, potentially delaying recovery and creating further irritation.

Why Self-Adjusting Feels So Good

When someone cracks their own neck or back, it often provides immediate relief because:

1. The movement stimulates large nerve fibers, temporarily closing the pain gate.

2. The brain releases dopamine and serotonin, the feel-good neurotransmitters. This creates a sense of pleasure or reward.

This chemical release explains why self-adjusting can become a habit—people start “chasing the dopamine high” to feel relief or satisfaction, even if the underlying issue isn’t resolved.

How Chiropractic Care Helps

A trained chiropractor approaches adjustments differently. Here’s why professional care is safer and more effective:

• Restores spinal alignment safely: Controlled adjustments reduce pressure on the nervous system and restore proper joint function.

• Regulates the nervous system: Chiropractic care helps balance sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) responses, calming the nervous system and reducing chronic pain.

• Supports long-term healing: By targeting the root cause of pain, chiropractors prevent reliance on temporary fixes like self-adjusting.

• Enhances emotional and cognitive function: Proper spinal alignment helps the nervous system communicate efficiently, improving mood, focus, and overall wellbeing.

Key Takeaways

• The Pain Gate Theory explains why self-adjusting can provide short-term relief.

• Repeated self-adjustments can lead to joint instability, muscle imbalances, and nervous system overstimulation.

• Chronic self-adjusting may worsen pain over time and interfere with natural healing processes.

• Professional chiropractic care addresses the root cause of discomfort and promotes long-term nervous system health.

If you find yourself frequently cracking your neck or back to relieve tension, it might be a sign that your spine and nervous system need professional attention. A chiropractor can help restore proper alignment, reduce pain safely, and support your body’s natural ability to heal.

Electric Life Chiropractic is here to help Naptown heal, move, and live better. Your nervous system is at the center of everything you do—let us help you keep it balanced, resilient, and pain-free.