Neck Pain Therapy

Sometimes its obvious where your pain is coming from.  Even kids can point to a cut or a bruise or look down to find the rock you accidentally stepped on with your bare foot.

But when pain starts as a dull ache below the surface of the skin or stiffness in a muscle and then eventually turns to sharp pain, it’s hard for the average person to pin down the source.

Kansas City chiropractors specialize in uncovering the cause of neck pain, back pain, sciatica and a whole host of other symptoms.

Often, many of our symptoms are more closely related than we realize.  In fact, there are several common signs of a neck problem that are often misunderstand.

Tingling Arm or Hands

Nerves in the hands and forearm have their roots in the neck.  Pressure on the nerves in the neck can have several causes.  When degenerating discs or misaligned vertebra in the neck press on nerves as they leave the neck and run down the arm, this nerve irritation may cause a “tingling” sensation in the arm or hands.  This can also affect the reflexes and strength in the hand and forearm.

Finger Numbness

The vertebra in the neck (C1-C8) protect the spinal cord.  Running between each of the vertebra is a corresponding nerve.

For example, between the skull and C1 vertebra is the C1 nerve which has its root in the spinal cord.  (See figure to the right.)

These nerves run down the neck, through the shoulder blades, down the arm and into the hand.

If the nerve is irritated at any point along the path (but especially at the nerve root), it can result in numbness or tingling in the arm, hands or fingers.

 

The nerve paths begin at the neck and end in the hand.  Therefore the pattern of numbness is easy to determine and allows us to pinpoint the exact area in the neck where the nerve is being compressed.

Many people mistake numbness and tingling for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.  While Carpal Tunnel is common, other causes of nerve irritation or damage should be ruled out first.

Our Kansas City chiropractors have prevented hundreds of patients from the pain and economic loss associated with carpal tunnel surgery by uncovering the true cause of the symptoms.

Sharp Pain Along the Shoulder Blades

The neck and shoulder are connected by several nerve pathways.  When an injury occurs, the brain cannot tell the difference between pain that originates in the neck and ends at the shoulder and pain that is isolated in the shoulder.

The nerves run through the shoulders and down the arm, so a doctor will perform tests as part of his neck pain therapy to determine the source of the shoulder pain.

Headaches

Headaches can have their source in the neck as well.  Even though there are no nerves directly attached to the brain, vertebrae in the upper neck that have shifted out of alignment can cause the rectus capitis posterior minor muscle (RCPM) to go into spasm.

The RCPM is attached to pain-sensitive tissues that cover our brain.  This spasm pulls on that tissue causing a headache.

Headache treatment through neck pain therapy focuses on re-aligning vertebrae to their natural C-curve and restoring motion to joints that may be locked up.

Neck Pain Therapy with Chiropractic

Because pain in one area of the body is so commonly confused by another, it’s best to have your chiropractor perform a thorough examination.

This testing should include range of motion, strength and general movement to the neck, shoulder, arm and hands to determine which areas of the spine or nerves are not functioning correctly.

Following that diagnosis, the neck pain therapy would include a series of chiropractic adjustments and physical therapy to restore proper alignment and nerve function.

Fulk Chiropractic’s 12 chiropractors specialize in neck pain therapy through chiropractic treatment.  Open 7 days a week, they offer chiropractic care when their Kansas city patients need it most.  Learn more about the services they offer or schedule an appointment online.