Raena Morgan: I’m visiting with Dr. JaDean Anderson who’s a chiropractor. Dr. Anderson, sometimes confuse muscle strain with needing a chiropractic adjustment. How do you explain the difference to them? Dr. Anderson: That’s very common. Lots of times how I explained it to a patient that’s sitting with me and we’re trying to figure out whether or not it is a muscle problem or they do need an adjustment. I explained to them that the nervous system which is what I’m affecting with my adjustments is ultimately in control of whether or not the muscles are appropriately working or acting. So sometimes the muscles are really sore or really spasmodic or tight due to the misalignment of your spine. So in those cases it is a spinal adjustment that that patient needs that helps reset the muscles to their appropriate setting. Raena Morgan: What you’re saying is that the misalignment of the spine can actually be causing the muscles to be tied and feel strained. Dr. Anderson: Yes, because of the—the nervous controls everything within your body so there’s not proper nerve function to the muscle. The muscle doesn’t really know how to act or in some cases the wrong message is being sent in the muscles, get very tight or spasmodic. Raena Morgan: A person thinks I was busy yesterday, I was lifting a lot of things, it’s just muscle fatigue. Dr. Anderson: And lots of times it is more muscle but the underlying cause to the muscles being sore or tight is a misalignment within the low back. Raena Morgan: But those muscles being strained can also pull the back out of alignment, correct? Dr. Anderson: Very much so, yes. Raena Morgan: So it could be an either or situation. But they really need to have someone take a look at them. Dr. Anderson: Yes. And the chiropractor would be able to definitely tell them whether or not an adjustment would help with the back pain that they’re experiencing. Raena Morgan: Thank you Dr. Anderson.