Chiropractic | Dr. Paul Kohler, D.C., C.C.S.P.

Dr. Paul Kohler is a sports degree-certified chiropractic sports physician. He specializes in family and sports injuries. His practice, Back2Health, has been operating in Bridgeville for 15 years, treating people of all ages with gentle techniques. For more information, call 412-257-3228 or email docndonna@comcast.net.

The Importance of Maintenance

When I was about eight years old, I used to love tagging along with my dad. My dad grew up in Lawrenceville, near downtown Pittsburgh, so we would often head downtown to visit his parents. We would stop and get gas at the Gulf station near Atria’s and Banksville Road.

I remember when the attendant would come to the car window and ask my dad, “Check your oil, sir?” My dad would say “sure thing” and pop the hood. I would ask why he would have the guy check the oil? He explained that everything needs to be evaluated to make sure it is running correctly and has the correct amount of fluid. Without proper maintenance, the car would wear out prematurely. It would save a lot of money and grief to just take the little extra effort to maintain the car properly.

Like any son, I didn’t totally follow all of my dad’s advice about maintaining my possessions until, of course, my bike gave out before it had to. As I grew up it seemed to me my dad’s advice had been right on the money. When I took care of my stuff, it did last longer, saving me money and time. This brings us to my role as a Doctor of Chiropractic. Doctor actually means teacher, and it is my job to teach you how to regain and maintain your health.

Chiropractors work with your neuro-musculoskeletal system -- your nerves, muscles and bones. If something stresses your system (as when lifting a heavy box, for example), your nervous system may tell your muscles to tighten up, which in turn pulls the vertebrae out of position. Treatment may consist of gentle adjustments with a small hand-held instrument perhaps in connection with physical modalities (heat, electric stimulation) to reduce swelling and muscle spasm. Later, exercises may be added.

The adjustments tell your nervous system to reset muscle length to bring your bones back into proper alignment. Pain relief usually occurs in short order as your body starts functioning more normally. Alas, depending on how severe an injury or how long the joints were out of place, your vertebrae will tend to misalign again until the nervous system is retrained in proper joint positioning. It is similar to when you start parting your hair in a different direction and it keeps returning to the old position.

In addition, the activities that brought on your problem, such as heavy computer use or overwork, will tend to pull your body out of alignment again. For this reason, I recommend people sign up for maintenance treatment every once in a while as the stresses on their body build up with time. I call it letting the steam out of the kettle. You don’t want it to boil over and go through another painful episode. I even recommend a spinal evaluation for people who aren’t in pain. You can have misalignments that haven’t caused pain yet, but an exam will perhaps reveal a cavity that you didn’t know about. Speaking of dental exams, everyone knows they are recommended twice a year. People would probably be a lot healthier if they got their spines checked out twice a year, because, at 75 years old, while they can reach in a glass and grab their teeth, they are stuck with the damage they have done to their spine. Check your oil, sir?

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