NECK PAIN
"Every organ in your body is connected to the one under your hat." B.J. Palmer
Neck pain, or cervicalgia, is a very common issue affecting the average American. It is associated with headaches, jaw pain, shoulder pain, arm pain, numbness, tingling and radiating pain. There are many reasons why you may experience neck pain. Some are more serious than others, but your Four Peaks chiropractor is trained on assessing what is the cause of pain.
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Your neck is made up of 7 separate bones connected together to hold up your head. The first bone C1 (Atlas) provides the majority of rotation of your head, each of the other segments help with other movements such as flexion, extension and lateral bending. Each bone has a hollow core which allows for the vertebral cord to pass through. This cord is made up of a bundle of nerves which exit at various holes at each segment. These nerve roots provide for the communication from your brain to the organs, muscles, joints, and other tissues in your body. Sometimes there is a spinal dysfunction that occurs at these different levels which can send abnormal nervous responses to or from the various organs. This can lead to the sensations of pain, numbness, tingling and other abnormal functions.
What are some of these dysfunctions? The most common are sprains or strains that are caused by a traumatic experience such as a car accident, slip and fall, workplace injury, sports activity or really anything that can cause abnormal force upon the neck. Chiropractors work with these types of injuries, particularly those that involve subluxation. Your Four Peaks Chiropractor will do various tests to discover where in the neck these subluxations are found. Other causes of these cervical dysfunctions are rheumatoid or osteoarthritis, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, brachial plexus issues and other tumors or viral or bacterial infections like meningitis. There are many causes of neck pain, not all of which are treatable but your Physician will do his best to discover the cause and give you the proper treatment plan to correct these problems.
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As always patients will be expected to follow certain home treatments which may include exercise, stretching, diet, nutrition or concurrent care. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact your chiropractor.