Neck pain and chiropractic

Neck pain is a common complaint and sometimes one can have the pain for a while without knowing the cause. Functioning in daily life can be difficult and the pain and discomfort are often the cause of a poor night’s sleep.

Complaints that can arise from neck pain are;

• Tingling or numbness in the arms and hands
• Dizzines
• RSI (repetitive strain injury) or mouse arm
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Tennis elbow
• Golfers elbow

Function of the cervical vertebrae
The cervical vertebrae are the uppermost vertebrae of the spine. They are extremely flexible. An intervertebral disc lies between two successive vertebrae. This makes the vertebrae flexible with respect to each other and also serves as a shock absorber. The structure of the vertebrae is also important for this mobility. All these factors allow the head to bend forward, backwards and sideways. The ability to bend the head is due to the numerous bands and muscles surrounding the cervical vertebrae that make the neck stable and mobile. The cervical vertebrae together form openings on both sides from which nerve roots emerge. These nerve roots originate in the spinal cord, which is directly connected to the brain. These nerves or "lines of communication in the body" transmit impulses to tissues, muscles and organs. An injury in the cervical vertebrae can impede the passage of these impulses to the brain and vice versa. At worst, the entire functioning of the spine and nerves can be disrupted.

Causes

The cause of neck, shoulder and arm pain is often an irritated nerve. This nerve runs through the cervical vertebrae, over the shoulder to the arm. We distinguish between gradual and sudden causes:

Gradual causes

• Incorrect posture, ie. sitting in the same position behind a computer for prolonged periods of time.
• Psychological and physical tension cause the muscles to tense up and places great pressure on the vertebrae and nerves of the neck.
• Osteoarthritis or wear and tear of the vertebrae seen as calcified outgrowths and narrowing of the intervertebral discs.

Sudden causes

• A sudden, forceful movement of the neck, heavy lifting, a fall, a bad (sleeping) posture or by a twisting or pulling movement of the arm.
• “Whiplash effect” after a car accident.

Symptoms

The pain usually starts with a stiff feeling on one side of the neck. The intensity of the pain proceeds in a wave motion that depends on the severity of the problem. This wave movement will eventually turn into a constant pain that can radiate to the shoulder and arm. Pain in the neck, shoulder and arm is similar to a toothache and can be accompanied by sharp shoots of pain. The arm and fingers may tingle and feel numb as if they were “sleeping”. As the complaint worsens, the arm and fingers will lose strength. This makes it difficult to perform daily operations.

Bursitis
Shoulder bursitis usually results from an overload of the shoulder joint. Due to this overload, the “bursa” (the fluid bag with the lubrication of the joint) is put under heavy pressure. This will irritate it and cause it to ignite. This causes a lot of shoulder pain and therefore limits the freedom of movement of the shoulder joint.

Frozen shoulder
As the name implies, this is a condition in which the freedom of movement of the shoulder is very limited. For example, the patient has a lot of trouble putting on a jacket. A frozen shoulder is caused by long-term overloading of the shoulder joint. This will irritate the joint. In response, the muscle groups around the shoulder tighten and their movement is limited. If the contraction of the muscles continues for too long, the muscle groups can shorten, so that normal shoulder movement is no longer possible. Read more about frozen shoulder hereChiropractic

Chiropractic is a practice that has been around for more than 100 years. Treatment focuses on disorders which affect the functioning of the musculoskeletal system and the relationship with the nervous system. A chiropractor examines the spine for blockages. Through a thorough examination and targeted treatment, the chiropractor locates and corrects these blockages. This restores the flow of neural output and input and allows the body to heal itself again.

The first visit

• Intake                        
  A patient questionnaire is filled in followed by a discussion with the chiropractor in order to establish a thorough case history.
• Examination              
  Chiropractic tests
  Neurological test
  Orthopaedic test
• X-ray, MRI, IDXA          
  Whichever is indicated necessary
• Diagnosis                       
  Given by the Chiropractor
• Treatment                      
  Nearly always already on the first visit

Treating neck pain / The chiropractic treatment

With his specialist knowledge and skills, the chiropractor examines the spine and nervous system to locate dysfunctional movements and blockages. This way the chiropractor learns what the cause of the dysfunction is. Chiropractic treatment usually makes pain in the neck, shoulder and arm excellent. With corrective treatments, further damage to the intervertebral discs and nerves can be prevented. Chiropractic treatments aim to improve incorrect posture, increase spinal mobility and restore the function of irritated nerves. This is done by putting pressure on the joint with the hands. This restores the freedom of movement of the joint and reduces pain.

Bursitis is usually the cause of an acute condition. Here, a cold compression, usually with ice packs, is often used on the shoulder joint to counteract the inflammatory process. Chiropractic corrections restore the functionality of the joint.

When treating a frozen shoulder, the chiropractor treats the specific muscle groups of the shoulder. As support, stretching exercises can be advised to make the muscle groups long again and restore freedom of movement. Once the desired treatment outcome has been achieved, the chiropractor will recommend that you return regularly for control treatments. Proper maintenance of the spine reduces the risk of recurrence and maintains optimal freedom of movement for the patient.

Avoiding neck pain

• Never sleep on the stomach because the neck muscles and cervical vertebrae are then placed under great pressure.
• Do not sleep on a thick pillow. Rather use an orthopedic neck pillow.
• Do not stand and slouch. This increases tension on the neck and shoulders.
• Never watch television lying down. Reading in a lying position is also not recommended.
• Pause regularly and change your posture.
• Do not carry a heavy shoulder bag. Rather spread the weight over both arms.

Relieving neck pain

• Avoid stress.
• Do neck exercises daily to optimize mobility.
• For acute pain, use cold compression on the neck. Do this several times per day (no longer than 10 minutes) at intervals of at least 2 hours.

Finally

Don't wait too long. Have a chiropractor investigate the cause of your pain. You can also make use of the free open consultation hour on Friday from 4 - 4.30 pm without an appointment and all other days by appointment.

Contact us