Neck pain can be associated with a condition called postural stress, which results in muscular tension and inflammation in the neck and upper back. Postural stress can be caused by sitting at a computer for long periods, or performing repetitive tasks such as working on an assembly line. Poor spinal mechanics, weak or overdeveloped muscles, poorly designed workspaces and chairs, even depression, can all be factors in postural stress. Postural stress can contribute to chronic neck pain with symptoms extending into the upper back and the arms. These neck problems can lead to chronic muscular tightness, which may contribute to nerve "entrapment" leading to numbness and pain extending into the arms. The neck can also sustain trauma from an accident causing strained muscles, sprained ligaments, and spinal joint injuries. Neck conditions can contribute to both tension-type headaches and head pain that seems to occur as a direct result of cervical dysfunction. Chiropractic care combined with different therapies can produce excellent results in the treatment of neck pain of any type.
The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the human body. The joint includes four tendons that hold muscle to bone. Together, these four "rotator cuff" tendons stabilize the upper arm bone to the shoulder socket and allow a wide range of motion in the shoulder. Shoulder pain is an extremely common complaint, and there are many common causes of this problem. It is important to make an accurate diagnosis of the cause of your symptoms so that appropriate treatment can be directed at the cause. If you are unsure of the cause of your shoulder pain, or if you do not know the specific treatment recommendations for your condition, you should seek medical attention. Treatment of these conditions must be directed at the specific cause of your problem. Different causes could be: Bursitis, rotator cuff tendonitis, arthritis, rotator cuff tear, frozen shoulder, calcific tendonitis, labral tear, biceps tendon rupture, shoulder dislocation, etc...
During the course of pregnancy, a woman's body undergoes innumerable changes biochemically and structurally which can create postural strain or neck and back pain. Chiropractic adjustments and therapeutic massage can facilitate a healthier, more comfortable pregnancy. Over the course of a forty week gestation, a mother's weight gain will ideally reach somewhere between 30-40 lbs. This increase in weight can create spinal misalignment and/or postural distortions which in turn affect nerves, muscles and mobility of joints. As the bulk of this weight is deposited in the abdominal area, the mother's center of gravity shifts forward. In order to compensate, the natural curves of the spine, particularly in the lumbar region, become exaggerated causing "low back pain". The hips may also expand laterally to help stabilize the body, putting pressure on the sacro-illiac joints. All this amazing changes that cause a significant amount of discomfort, which can be alleviated with chiropractic and massage therapy.
Leg and Hip pain are most commonly caused by subluxation of the spine. This can irritate the nerves causing pain and muscle spasms. Your hips and legs support the entire body and give you strength, stability, flexibility, and mobility. For this reason there is a high amount of stress put on these body parts. Hip pain can sometimes be confused with back ache because of where the spine connects with the pelvis. The hip is a ball and socket joint where the femur (thighbone) connects with the pelvis (hipbone). Cartilage separates the two bones and acts as a cushion to prevent the bones from rubbing against each other. When that cartilage wears out, pain and swelling occur, causing hip pain. This is more commonly known as arthritis. Sitting for extended periods or poor posture can result in a slipped or ruptured disc causing pain in the legs and hips. The inter vertebral disc develops small cracks allowing the soft nucleus to leak out. If the disc pushes on the sensitive tissues and creates pain, it is referred to as a slipped disc. The disc pressing against the spinal nerve causes sciatica, numbness and weakness in the legs. If the rupture is large enough but not managed correctly, surgery may be required to remove the herniated disc material.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), a painful condition in the wrist, is often times very difficult to diagnose and treat. There are 8 carpal bones in the wrist (carpal is latin for wrist). These 8 little bones form a hallow tube we call the carpal tunnel. Inside the carpal tunnel is a big nerve, called the Median nerve. It is called Median Nerve because it travels down the middle of the forearm. It actually originates up in the neck, where it is created by branches of the lower cervical nerve roots. This is important to understand...because pressure on the cervical nerve roots as they exit the bones in the neck...can also cause carpal tunnel symptoms. By definition, CTS is compression of the median nerve inside the carpal tunnel. This can occur two ways...either the diameter of the carpal tunnel becomes smaller...or the contents of the carpal tunnel expand...compressing the median nerve. Misaligned bones in the wrist, because of overuse, spills and falls, and just life...can cause the carpal tunnel to narrow, irritating the median nerve. Repetitive use can also cause the flexor tendons in the carpal tunnel to become inflamed...we call this tendonitis. This is an example of how the contents of the tunnel can expand...putting pressure on the median nerve. Manipulation of the cervical spine along with massage of the forearms and neck can prove to be effective relief.
The increasing pressure of modern living, sees us turning more and more toward alternative medicines as the natural way to deal with the host of ailments such as anxiety, tension, nervousness, panic disorders or sleep disorders, which seem to come with the stressful way in which we live our lives these days. Chiropractic adjustments along with Massage Therapy can help you soothe your tense muscles and re-align your spine to keep your anxiety level down. The constant tension on your shoulders by playing turtle or raising your shoulders to your ears, can tighten the neck and shoulder muscles, specially between the shoulder blades.ýÿ This muscular tension can misalign the vertebras of the neck (cervical) and the upper back (thoracic). Chiropractic adjustments can re-align your spine to allow for better motion of your neck and deeper breathing to help you relax. Massage therapy can soothe and stretch your tense muscles to allow for better blood flow to get relief. You have to remember the following: Stress is caused by situations that you have little control of, and that your best tool is your attitude. Stress will always be there, its how you look at it, and how you let it affect you (or not) that allows you to handle what life throws at you. Therapeutic massage can help you relax your muscles and quiet your mind, which allows you to have more lucid thinking after your treatment.
Every person is dynamic and different. People degenerate at different rates and heal at different rates. The further along your spine may be with subluxation degeneration the more strenuous and time consuming your road to improvement will be. For this reason we always stress early care to stop and prevent the advancement of subluxation degeneration. For the different stages of degeneration Dr. Kolling utilizes different chiropractic techniques, to better help you achieve maximum comfort and range of motion.