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Waking up every day to a painful neck can be quite a troublesome experience. It can leave you frustrated as you have to deal with the limited movement that your head and upper body can do. But why do you have a painful neck in the first place? Why does the pain keep coming back and seemingly getting worse each day? As a pinched nerve chiropractor in Oakland, CA, Dr. Melissa Crago wants you to understand how neck pain works and what you can do to cope in the best (and most sustainable) way possible.
The spine plays two roles – supporting the head and protecting the spinal cord. Sadly, sometimes, after an injury or trauma, the structure gets compromised, affecting its overall functionality. This is because even with its unique design, the spine is prone to injuries. When this happens, the bones tend to slip or shift from their original alignment, impacting neighboring nerve roots.
The nerves often get irritated or compressed, affecting their ability to send signals to the brain and causing mild to severe pain, tingling, or numbness. In some cases, the nerve pinching only happens in one site, such as the neck region. However, some patients who come to a pinched nerve chiropractor in Oakland, CA, have nerve compression or pinching along several areas along the spine. This causes pain in various regions of the body.
Nerve pinching is a fairly common ordeal that Americans cope with every day. Statistics suggest that up to 100,000 folks have a nerve compression or pinching problem. It can arise from various issues ranging from a herniated disc to maintaining a bad posture when walking or sitting. Let’s take a closer look at how these different triggers can affect your spine health.
A bulging or herniated disc is a problem that thousands of people in their mid-30s to late 50s struggle with. While disc herniation mainly affects the lower spinal column, it can most certainly impact the upper part of the spine too.
When you get diagnosed with a herniated disc, it means that the cushioning material between your vertebral bones has ruptured. The disc nucleus pushes out into your spinal canal and presses on the nearby tissues like muscles and nerve endings. This results in the searing or stabbing pain that can persist for hours or days.
To learn more about the connection between head and neck injuries and pinched nerves, download our complimentary e-book by clicking the image below.
It’s no secret that the body’s strength and rigor gradually deteriorate as we go through the natural aging process. One of the most deeply impacted parts of the body during this journey is the spine.
In many older people, the spine’s structure gradually weakens, and the friction between the bones increases as the cushioning materials also begin to break down. This process can also trigger the formation of bone spurs or bony projections that are usually hard to detect until they start causing problems like neck pain.
Maintaining a healthy body posture goes beyond looking good and presentable. In fact, it can heavily affect your overall health. As we’ve discussed earlier, the spine’s alignment plays a critical role in preventing the onset of painful symptoms such as neck stiffness or soreness.
If you have a poor posture like lordosis or hunch back, the spine’s shape and structure get compromised. The bones shift from their position to ensure that they can support the weight of the head.
Like spine degeneration and disc herniation, a seemingly harmless poor posture can also cause nerve compression or irritation. However, unlike the other two, which usually affect older people, bad posture remains a massive problem for many age groups, including teenagers and working young adults.
It isn’t easy to find a person who never experienced neck pain due to nerve pinching. It can occur in a teenager, a manual laborer, an office worker, a retired senior folk, or even a young health buff. However, some people are at a higher risk of suffering from neck pain than others.
Some examples of these individuals include those who are diabetic, obese, pregnant, and sedentary. If you meet these criteria, it’s a good idea to check for symptoms of nerve pinching such as:
So, what’s the best course of action if you have neck pain due to a pinched nerve? Do you wait it out and hope that it goes away on its own? Many people assume that waiting and getting enough rest are enough to deal with neck pain or nerve pinching.
Unfortunately, sometimes the neck pain problem only occurs when the nerve damage has already progressed. This means that it could eventually result in an irreversible problem or trigger a whole new set of health issues.
If you suspect nerve compression or pinching, you can consult with Dr. Crago, our reliable pinched nerve chiropractor in Oakland, CA. Find out how bad the situation is, so you can plan for the best course of action to take.
With the help of a pinched nerve chiropractor in Oakland, CA, you can potentially address the misalignment along the spine. Specific chiropractic adjustments may come in handy in relieving the pressure on the nerve roots and allowing them to heal naturally. This way, your body can recover, and you can eliminate the neck pain problem for good.
Contact us at Life Chiropractic at (510) 394-5035 for more details about our unique approach to healing and restoring spinal health. You may also leave us your message or inquiries via our web form.
To schedule a special consultation in our Oakland office call (510) 594-9994, or just click the button below.
