Chiropractic Health --
Pain in Neck, back, Arms, Legs
and/or Joints
Pain in
Neck, Back, Arms, Legs and/or Joints
Pain in the spine (neck, upper back, mid back, low back), limbs
(arms, legs), and joints (shoulders, knees, hips, ankles) is
frequently linked to spinal trauma in medical literature. Often,
trauma is directed at the neck during auto accidents, head injuries,
sports accidents, and falls. When the upper cervical spine is
misaligned due to trauma, the head moves off center, and can sit
tilted upon the injured neck. This creates imbalance from head to
toe as more weight shifts to one side of the body compared to the
other, and can lead to joint pain.
Rotation of the upper neck can cause twisting of the entire spinal
structure, including the pelvis, so that one leg becomes shorter
than the other, and can lead to pain in the low back, pelvis, and
knees. Because the brain stem contains the control center for the
postural muscles of the spine, an injury at the upper neck can
interfere with the brain's normal control over the postural muscles,
leading to muscular weakness, imbalance, atrophy and spasm
throughout the neck and back. Spasm of the spinal muscles can lead
to compression of the spinal vertebrae, to compression of the
cervical, thoracic, and/or lumbar intervertebral discs, and to pain
throughout the limbs and joints.
While many pain sufferers recall specific traumas such as head
injuries, auto accidents or falls, which could have injured their
spines, some do not. An upper cervical examination is necessary in each individual's case to assess
whether an upper cervical injury is present and whether benefit from
upper cervical care can be achieved.
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