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Neck pain is one of the most common chronic pain areas that people suffer from . Unfortunately the general public has been trained to take pain killing medications without being educated about what the cause is and how to remove it.
Of course there are multiple different reasons people can suffer with chronic neck pain and not all neck pain has the same cause. There are times where pain killing medication and even surgery are necessary. With that said the great majority of people who suffer with chronic neck pain can be resolved through non toxic natural health care.
Oftentimes along life's path there are insidious injuries that happen that we place little attention on and have little awareness about how these minor traumas to the neck can lead to long term, long lasting chronic neck pain and other health problems.
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The great majority of the general public has been in minor car accidents, sports injuries and other blunt type traumas that are a normal part of everyday life.
However, very few understand how these traumas can lead to upper cervical spine misalignment, nervous system irritation, and lead to chronic pain syndromes, cognitive problems and other chronic health conditions. In this article we will discuss the importance of the upper cervical spine in health and how trauma to the neck can cause irritation to the brainstem, decrease nervous system function, and lead to a cascade of health problems.
Neck Pain - Why is the neck so important to health?
The head is equivalent to a 10-12 pound bowling ball sitting on a two ounce bone called the atlas. To make matters more precarious that 10-12 pound bowling ball if perched upon a “stick”, your neck! The engineering of the upper cervical spine makes it susceptible to spinal misalignment and trauma.
The rest of the spine is protected by the rib cage, shoulder girdle, and pelvic girdle. The lower spine is well protected and not as susceptible to spinal trauma. Minor acceleration deceleration injuries such as car accidents, sports injuries and other blunt trauma can dislodge the upper cervical spine, damaging the supporting soft tissue of the joints leading to chronic muscle tightness, postural faults, and a loss of the normal reverse curve.
When injury to the neck occurs, the postural muscles tighten , causing the neck curve to straighten (straight neck syndrome, or military neck) which produces a cascade of postural and neurological changes that lower the body's resistance and health. Most chronic neck pain results from injury to the soft tissues surrounding the joints of the neck.
Without addressing this underlying cause of chronic pain, and solely doing treatments that address the symptoms and not the cause lead to poor long term results. In our office we use the top of the line imaging technology called cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) to determine the exact direction and magnitude of cervical misalignment by viewing each individual joint. Each patient's anatomy and misalignment pattern is unique. Therefore a custom tailored corrective protocol that is unique to each patient's structural misalignment is paramount in correcting its underlying cause which allows the body to heal and recover lost health.
Treating Symptoms versus removing the cause
Our current healthcare system is quick to offer treatment protocols that cover up symptoms with medications however little education and awareness is placed on locating causes and removing them. In our upper cervical health care offices our main concern is locating interferences and irritations to the master controlling system, the nervous system, and then correct them so the body can function better and recover lost health.
This is accomplished by running each patient through a battery of neurological tests that determine if the patient is suffering from an upper cervical misalignment and if so at which vertebral level. Once a problem is located , precise imaging is taken to view each joint in the cervical spine and ascertain its direction and magnitude of misalignment.
Once located a precise spinal correction is made which involves no TWISTING POPPING OR PULLING of the neck. In an upper cervical chiropractic office the patient is corrected on their side in a neutral position and a quick light thrust is made along a precise line of drive which is determined from the imaging whose goal is to restore normal joint motion and reduce nervous system irritation and interference.
Over time, the misaligned joints' soft tissue will repair and the misaligned joint will regain stability. When joints are moving normally, especially in the neck, the spinal musculature is loose and chronic muscle tightness is relieved. True healing requires locating the underlying cause , removing it, and allowing the body to heal.
What Exactly Does a Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractor Do?
Blair Upper Cervical doctors are specially trained to locate spinal misalignments in the upper cervical spine and correct them. Spinal misalignments are located by running a battery of neurological tests that locate the spinal segments that have been injured and misaligned by a prior neck injury.
Once located, precision imaging in the form of digital x-ray or cone-beam computed tomography (Cbct) is used to precisely determine which joint has misaligned and the angulation of the misaligned joint. Each person’s anatomy is different and therefore imaging is used to uncover the blueprint to be used to correct each patient’s individual misalignment pattern.
Once this information is gleaned, a gentle, light correction is made without twisting, popping, or pulling. The patient is then monitored over time to ensure that the correction is holding. If the testing indicates the need for another correction, then it is performed.
However, the goal of Blair Upper Cervical Care is for the patient to stay in “adjustment”. It isn’t the correction that produces healing. It is the removal of nerve irritation and the adjustment “holding” in its normal position that allows the body to function better and proceed through a healing process.
This is how Blair Chiropractic care can often help remove the underlying cause of many who suffer from chronic neck pain, eustachian tube dysfunction, tinnitus, Vertigo, Meniere’s disease, migraine headaches and other chronic health problems by supporting the body in healing itself.
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