01/08/2026
Why So Many People Stay in Chronic Pain (Even After “Seeking Treatment”)
One of the biggest misunderstandings in pain care is assuming all pain comes from the same tissue.
It doesn’t.
Muscles: Muscle pain is usually deep, dull, and aching. It often responds to exercise, strengthening, or manual therapy which is why chiropractic, massage and physiotherapy can help some people.
Joints: Joint pain tends to be sharp, movement-dependent, or inflammatory. This is where imaging, injections, or medications are often focused through the traditional medical model, though there has been concerns in recent years that this focus needs updated.
Fascia (the missing piece): Fascia is the connective tissue that surrounds and links muscles, joints, nerves, and organs.
• It contains MORE pain receptors than muscle.
• It is highly sensitive to tension, inflammation, trauma, and poor movement patterns.
• When sensitized, it can amplify pain signals to the brain even when muscles and joints “look normal” on scans.
This is why:
People still hurt despite “strong muscles”
Imaging can be normal, yet pain is severe
Pain spreads, lingers, or feels unpredictable
The brain doesn’t ask: “Is this muscle or joint pain?”
The brain asks: “Is this system safe?”
If fascia, movement patterns, posture, breathing, balance, or the nervous system are dysfunctional, pain signals stay turned ON.
The problem with single care:
Treating only muscles misses connective tissue dysfunction
Treating only joints ignores neuromuscular control
Treating only symptoms ignores pain processing in the brain
Chronic pain requires a full functional assessment:
• Muscles
• Joints
• Fascia
• Nervous system
• Movement and load tolerance
Pain is not just a structure problem. It’s a systems problem. When you only evaluate and treat the structure, injuries get missed, the brain remodels and chronic pain sets in.
If you’ve been told “everything looks fine” but you’re still in pain, there’s likely more to the story.
Call our office today for an in-person evaluation, or schedule online for a virtual assessment and take control of your health. You’re the only one that can!
https://www.drmazzarella.com/copy-of-chiropractic-services-1