MyChiro, LLC

08/06/2026

08/06/2026

The ER paperwork says "lumbar muscle spasm." The prescription is a muscle relaxant and maybe a short steroid taper. But the pain running down the leg and the numb patch on the shin aren't a spasm — they're a nerve root being mechanically narrowed at the point it exits the spine. Dr. Lucas Marchand explains why muscle relaxants treat the guarding instead of the cause, why steroid relief often doesn't outlast the prescription, and what an accurate assessment changes about the path forward.

The ER paperwork says "lumbar muscle spasm." The prescription is a muscle relaxant and maybe a short steroid taper. But the pain running down the leg and the numb patch on the shin aren't a spasm — they're a nerve root being mechanically narrowed at the point it exits the spine. Dr. Lucas Marchand...

07/28/2026

Patients often interpret the cavitation — the pop — as the marker of a successful adjustment. No pop equals no adjustment. But the cavitation is a byproduct of the joint releasing, not the goal itself. A joint that won't cavitate isn't a joint that doesn't need treatment — it's a joint that's restricted in a way that requires a different input to release it.

Some of my longest-standing patients occasionally show up with a thoracic or lumbar spine that simply won't move. Not because they're guarding, not because they're tense — the tissue itself resists. They sometimes say "must not need it then" when nothing releases. That conclusion is understandable...

07/23/2026

The suboccipital muscles—particularly the re**us capitis posterior minor—have a direct myodural bridge connecting them to the cervical dura mater. When these muscles become chronically overloaded or dysfunctional, they may contribute to cervicogenic headaches through mechanical tension and altered sensory input. The C1-C2 joints are among the most common upper cervical sources of cervicogenic headache, with additional contributions from the C2-C3 zygapophyseal joint in many patients. As a result, treatment directed at the upper cervical spine often provides more effective and lasting relief than treating the head itself.

07/23/2026

She came in convinced it was
her rotator cuff. No trauma. No fall. Just chronic
right shoulder pain that had been
building for months. The Empty Can test was negative. The maximal cervical compression test was positive. The cervical distraction test provided relief.

The adjustment helped.

It was never the rotator cuff. Here's the clinical picture that
changed the diagnosis

She came in convinced it was her rotator cuff. She'd also been worried about a wrist fracture — though nothing had happened, no fall, no acute injury. Just chronic right shoulder and neck pain that had been building for months. The assessment told a different story. Dr. Lucas Marchand explains how...

07/21/2026

Most desk workers know that sitting
all day isn't good for their back.

What most don't know is the specific
mechanical reason why.

It's not the chair. It's not the
monitor height. It's what sustained
hip flexion does to the lumbar spine
over six or eight hours — and why
the pain usually shows up the next
morning, not during the workday.

The full mechanism — and what
actually helps

Most office workers know that sitting all day isn't good for their back. What most don't know is the specific mechanical reason why — and why "get a better chair" is an incomplete answer. Dr. Lucas Marchand explains what eight hours at a desk actually does to the lumbar spine, why the pain often a...

07/20/2026

"Pinched nerve. Went to acute care.
They just sent me home and said
it's muscular. Gave me steroids
and a muscle relaxant."

This is one of the most common
texts I receive.

The frustration is understandable.
Being sent home with medication
isn't the same as being told
what's wrong.

Here's what "it's muscular"
actually means — and what
usually helps next:

"Pinched nerve. Went to acute care. They just sent me home and said it's muscular. Gave me steroids and a muscle relaxant." This is one of the most common patient texts I receive. The frustration behind it is completely understandable. Being sent home with medication and no explanation isn't the sam...

07/09/2026

https://www.mychirohousecall.com/post/gonstead-activator-or-diversified-which-chiropractic-method-fits-you

Patients sometimes arrive having researched chiropractic techniques and ask which one I use. The honest answer is that technique selection happens based on what the assessment finds — not a single method applied to everyone. Dr. Lucas Marchand explains the real differences between Gonstead, Activa...

07/09/2026

Heat before or after your adjustment?

Most people get this backwards —
and it affects how long the
adjustment actually holds.

The short answer: heat before,
ice after if sore. But the reason
why matters more than the tip.

Full breakdown — what to do before,
after, and between visits to make
every adjustment last longer

Maximize the benefits of chiropractic adjustments with proper prep and recovery! Heat before, ice after, and gentle movement in between