Neck Pain

The cause of neck pain can be as simple as a pulled muscle which typically remedies itself overnight. Other causes of neck pain, however, can be more complex. In these instances, pain and discomfort will be more chronic in nature. Difficulty bending the neck or turning the head is often present, and may include popping sounds upon movement within weakened joints.

These are some of the most common symptoms that move patients to visit us at Chiropractic Saint Louis. Neck pain is usually caused by trauma to the neck. Slips or falls, sporting injuries, car accidents, and other forceful impacts can lead to alignment issues within the cervical spine. Discs can begin to dehydrate and wear prematurely, musculature of the neck tightens, shoulder/arm pain can develop, as well as headaches, and numbness into the hands.

Medical management of neck pain generally consists of NSAID medication for temporary pain control, 6-12 weeks of physical therapy, neck exercises, massage, and if that doesn’t work, cortisone injections. These treatment options are designed to reduce inflammation and muscle spasm. If those methods fail, spinal surgery is often recommended.

With a clinical focus on head and neck position, our chiropractor, Dr. Adam Tanase, offers non-surgical options for neck pain relief. He will take a comprehensive look into the causes of your neck pain, and identify whether or not an alignment issue is present. If so, Upper Cervical Care may be able to offer you noticeable and long lasting relief. Check out our reviews.

 
 
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Case study #1

In this example, the cervical spine has made adaptive changes to compensate for the mechanical strain of forward head posture. C5, C6, and C7 have undergone arthritic degeneration. This patient experienced chronic neck pain and headaches. as well as occasional numbness and tingling into the first two fingers.

 
 

Case study #2

Here's an example of what's often referred to as an S-Curve. This patient experienced chronic upper back tightness, difficulty sleeping, and headaches along the back of the head. It’s a complicated alignment issue that responds poorly to massage therapy.

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Case Study #3

Here's an example of a patient who underwent an anterior discectomy procedure. These patients are discouraged by their surgeon from receiving conventional chiropractic care. Unfortunately, they tend to develop neck pain years later at the segments directly above and below the surgery.

While rotational manipulation may be contraindicated in these cases, low force techniques utilizing precision instrument-based adjusting can still offer some degree of non-surgical pain relief.

If you've undergone spinal surgery, you may be a candidate for Upper Cervical Care. A consultation and exam will help us determine if you’ll respond to our extremely gentle methods that do not involve any twisting, popping, or “cracking” of the spine.