The most common cause of neck pain is musculoskeletal, relating to the alignment of the bones in the cervical spine. When the bones misalign, it often causes the disc to bulge into a nerve root resulting in neck pain or radiating pain into the shoulder, arm or hand. Pinched nerves in the neck are also a common source of headaches and migraines. Unfortunately, traditional medicine often think the cause of the pain is coming from muscles, an incorrect diagnosis. Despite temporary relief from anti-inflammatory medication and physical therapy, most patients suffer a recurrence of symptoms as the original problem was never corrected. Meanwhile, the misalignment causes uneven wear and tear, leading the patient into progressive phases of chronic degenerative arthritis. When the pain gets severe enough, surgery may be recommended, often with disastrous results.
At Solutions, we rule out pinched nerves from misalignments as one of our first differential diagnosis options. When this is the cause, we see the best results with chiropractic treatment. This improves both the alignment of the spine and also corrects the nerve irritation causing the pain, so patients get relief and also improved range of motion. In severe cases or neck pain complicated by degenerative arthritis, we often also recommend regenerative medicine allograft injections to help the body reduce inflammation and improve deteriorating joint spaces. Comprehensive rehab is also very important for reviving, rebalancing and strengthening muscles and ligaments that help support the neck and restore normal function. If you have neck pain on the right or left side, located at the base of the neck or behind the ear, you have the best chance at relief and recovery by getting treatment at our clinic in Elizabethton, TN.
Author
Dr. Dan Levesque, DC
Dr. Levesque has practiced chiropractic in Abingdon, VA for the last 25 years. After experiencing amazing success with regenerative medicine himself, he came to work for Solutions Integrated Medicine. He is highly committed to further studying this science for the purpose of helping more patients feel better, become healthier and avoid surgery.