1 4 . H O W T O U S E T H E W I R E L E S S P R O F E S S I O N A L O N S P E C I F I C
I N D I C AT I O N S
250
EN
WIRELESS PROFESSIONAL
Spinal pain is an extremely common painful state that can result from a wide variety of anatomical lesions
and various physiopathological mechanisms.
Whatever the triggering factors, the quasi-systematic occurrence of contracture of the paravertebral
muscles is often directly responsible for spinal pain.
The increase in the tension of the contractured muscle fibres and the crushing of the capillary network
resulting from this causes a decrease in the blood flow and a gradual accumulation of acid metabolites
and free radicals. This muscular “acidosis“ is directly responsible for the pain, which in turn sustain and
reinforce the degree of contracture. If left untreated, there is a risk that the contracture will become
chronic and real atrophy of the capillary network will gradually develop; the aerobic metabolism of the
muscle fibres deteriorates, giving way to glycolytic metabolism, which gradually becomes predominant.
This mechanism of chronic contracture is summarised in the following diagram:
Muscle contracture
=
Increased muscle activity
+
Reduced blood flow
Pain
Accumulation of acid
metabolites
In addition to the general effect of increasing endorphin production (which raises the pain perception
threshold), stimulation with an endorphinic programme produces marked local hyperaemia and allows
drainage of acid metabolites and free radicals.
The major analgesic effect obtained in this way during each session should not, however, lead to
premature termination of treatment. Indeed, in order to restore the atrophic capillary network, the
treatment must be continued for a minimum of ten sessions or so.