Neck Pain
Degenerative Joint Disorder
Degenerative joint disorder (aka degenerative joint disease, DJD, or osteoarthritis) is a condition in which the smooth surfaces of a joint, designed to glide and pivot on one another, become rough and jagged, producing boney outgrowths known as osteophytes. Contrary to popular belief, THIS CONDITION IS NOT A NORMAL PART OF THE AGING PROCESS! Degeneration only occurs as a result of improper function. In joints, this is caused by a few external factors, but mostly can be identified as the result of too much joint motion wearing the bone away, or too little joint motion causing the bone to improperly grow. Although DJD cannot be fully reversed, treatment can stop it from progressing and eliminate its symptoms.
Cervical Disc Herniation
In between almost every cervical vertebra is a soft shock-absorbing disc. The disc is made of a fibrous outer layer with a gelatinous core. Under certain circumstances, an injury can occur to the disc that causes the gelatinous core to force a bulge out of the fibrous outer layer. This is known as a disc herniation. Aside from causing local pain, a bulging or herniated disc can compress the nerves coming out of your spinal cord, leading to numbness, tingling, weakness, or pain in your extremities. Although there is no medication that relieves nerve pain, many Doctors try prescribing drugs to patients with this condition, wasting time and putting the patient at risk of drug related side effects. Treatment involves therapy that resorbs the herniated disc and reduces pressure from the nerves.
Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative disc disease (aka degenerative disc disorder or DDD) is a condition in which the soft shock-absorbing discs in between your vertebra deteriorate. It is commonly associated with degenerative joint disease, and similarly IS NOT A NORMAL PART OF THE AGING PROCESS! Degeneration only occurs as a result of improper function. In the disc, this is caused by a few external factors, but mostly can be identified as the result of too much joint motion wearing the disc away, or too little joint motion causing the disc to whither and dehydrate. Although degenerative disc disease cannot be fully reversed, treatment can stop it from progressing and eliminate its symptoms.
Whiplash
Most of us are familiar with the term “whiplash”. The most common causes of whiplash are motor vehicle accidents and traumatic sports injuries in which the neck is forced into sudden extension followed by forceful flexion. The sudden jerking motion of whiplash causes damage and inflammation to many muscles and joints of the neck, lower back, and even the jaw. In some cases it takes more than a year after the injury before the chronic complications of a whiplash injury are experienced. If you are suffering from a whiplash injury, the most critical step to insure proper recovery is immediate initiation of musculoskeletal therapy.
Cervical Facet Syndrome
The back of every vertebra has four small joints that help guide the independent vertebra within its range of motion. These joints are called facets. Under certain circumstance, these facets can compress one another essentially causing a “bone bruise”. Most people experience sharp pain, muscle spasm, and limited range of motion as a reflex to this kind of injury. Although Facet Syndrome can be debilitating, curing this condition is simple and involves chiropractic therapy and specifically prescribed exercises.
Torticollis
Torticollis is a unique condition in which muscles on one side of the neck undergo spasm and cause the head to be held in a rotated and slightly tilted position. It can be associated with pain and limited range of motion. Torticollis can be caused by something as serious as a brain stem tumor to something as simple as sleeping wrong. If you suffer from torticollis, have a trained physician identify the true cause of your condition.
Sprain / Strain
Muscular strains and ligamentous sprains of the neck are very common, however, the pain they cause and the limitations they ensue on daily activities can be debilitating. Applying the proper therapy to injured soft tissues can reduce injury time drastically and insure the effects of future complications.
Myofascial Trigger Points
Myofascial trigger points (aka myofascitis) are unique muscle spasms that are not only tender and painful to stretch, but also create what is known as “referred pain”. Referred pain is an interesting phenomenon that creates the sensation of pain in an area unrelated to the true source of the pain. The missed diagnosis of a myofascial trigger point could lead to the treatment of an area that in reality requires no treatment. You may be suffering from a myofascial trigger point if you have pursued treatment with no success in reducing your symptoms.
Radicular Pain
Radicular pain refers to pain that originates from a nerve. Radicular pain ranges from a sharp stabbing pain to the sensation of numbness or tingling that typically goes down an extremity. With nerve irritation, muscular weakness can even develop. Although there is no medication that relieves nerve pain, many Doctors try prescribing drugs to patients with this condition, wasting time and putting the patient at risk of drug related side effects. The only cure to radicular pain is to identify the source of the nerve irritation and remove it.
Call 619.665.4016 for an appointment or contact us via email