Headaches from the Neck?
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Chiropractor in Clear Lake City, TX comments: Cervicogenic headache is the term used to describe a headache that has its cause in the neck region. It used to be thought headaches were caused by something in the head itself, but researchers have now learned that neck injuries can produce head pain.
A study from Norway (Acta Neurol Scand 2007;Nov.20; Sjaastad O, Bakketeig LS) showed that about 4% of the population will have this type of headache. Taking medications to cover the pain will not ultimately correct a mechanical neck problem.
The symptoms of a cervicogenic headache are as follows: one-sided head pain and same side shoulder and arm pain. Patients also have limited mobility of the neck region. Rarely a patient may also have a migraine trait such as nausea, vomiting, or throbbing sensations. Because of these different signs from a typical migraine headache a physician may have overlooked the neck as a potential source for the cause of your head pain. Self-diagnosing your headache can be even worse since potentially serious causes of your head pain, such as high blood pressure may go undiscovered and left untreated. In any case it’s unlikely that your headache has been caused by a deficiency of pain pills in your diet. There are also unintended side effects that have to be considered when weighing any health care option.
Another study from Norway (Funct Neurol 2007;22:145; Drottning M, Staff PH, Sjaastad O) looked at causes of cervicogenic headaches, specifically whiplash injuries of the neck. In this study, 587 whiplash patients were followed over a six-year period. About 8% of the whiplash sufferers developed a cervicogenic headache six weeks after the initial trauma. Thirty-five percent of these patients were still suffering six years later.
Our clinic specializes in the treatment spine-caused head pain especially cervicogenic headache. To determine this we have to perform a comprehensive examination of your spine to see if sprains of your cervical or thoracic joints are present and review whether you’ve suffered a trauma in years past that could have affected the posture and mobility of these delicate spinal structures.
For patients who do not go down the road of medications for treating their neck pain in Houston, chiropractic care can be a more healthful option.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Whiplash and Balance
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Clear Lake City Doctor of Chiropractic comments: As whiplash injuries are studied more and more, the 
many health problems that can develop as a result of them are becoming more apparent. Neck sprains are not simple problems like a sprained ankle because the neck is involved in a lot of important duties, not just movement. One such function of the neck is to keep you upright and in balance. Balance is complex and involves coordination between sensations in your inner ear, your eye movements and neurological signaling from your neck, spine and legs. The neck nerves are especially important in this regard. The brain receives inputs from the ears, the eyes, and neck, and determines from these three areas where you are in space, where’ve you been, and where you are going. If any of these areas is affected, then balance is disturbed.
You may stumble around more, not really have a sense of where your feet are; you may trip more and in severe cases, you may develop vertigo (a spinning sensation). These symptoms can have a devastating effect on your quality of life, even resulting in nausea.
A study from Europe (funded by an insurance company) (Coll Antropol 2007;31:823) looked at how we sense position of the head following whiplash. The researchers compared whiplash-injured patients to normal healthy people in their ability to sense the position of their head; whether they were rotated or tilted in some way. The results were alarming. Patients with cervical spine injury showed significant impairment of proprioception (sense of position)
Chiropractic care involves trying to normalize joint function of the neck. Adjustments are designed to restore normal mobility and improve the posture of the neck so that it is more balanced. Some patients will need specific exercises, even balance therapy, to help improve their sense of position and keep them from feeling dizzy.
So if you’ve wondered about feeling unsteady, or are not really sure on your feet, this could be a consequence of a whiplash injury. Because both the brain and neck can be injured in whiplash, the symptoms can be quite substantial. Just letting it go and hoping it will go away can create an even longer lasting problem. And bed rest or simply not moving the neck are not good options either, because your neck needs to move to properly heal. Some neck collars can even create more of a problem leading to muscle weakness. They are right for some patients, but not for everyone.
Our clinic specializes in a comprehensive rehabilitation program to help you get past the whiplash injury, and back to the normal quality of life you enjoyed before the trauma.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Whiplash “Basics”
Clear Lake Chiropractor Comments: Whiplash is a non-medical term typically describing what happens to the head and neck when a person is struck from behind in a motor vehicle collision. Let’s look at some basic facts about whiplash:
- Before cars, trains were the main source of whiplash and was called “railroad spine.”
- Better terms for whiplash injuries include “cervical acceleration-deceleration” (CAD) which describes the mechanism of the injury, and/or the term “whiplash associated disorders” (WAD), which describes the residual injury symptoms.
- Whiplash is one of the most common non-fatal injuries involved in car crashes.
- There are over one million whiplash injuries per year due to car crashes alone.
- An estimated 3.8 per 1,000 people per year have a whiplash injury.
- In the United States alone, 6.2% of the population has “late whiplash syndrome” (symptoms that do not resolve at one year).
- 1 in 5 cases (20%) remain symptomatic at one year post-injury of which only 11.5% returned to work and only 35.4% of that number returned to the same level of work after 20 years.
- The majority of whiplash cases occur in the fourth decade of life, females>males.
- Whiplash can occur from slips, falls, and brawls, as well as from horse-riding, cycling injuries, and contact sports.
- Injury from whiplash can occur at speeds of 15 mph or less.
- In the “classic” rear end collision, there are four phases of injury (time: 300msec)
- Initial (0msec) – before the collision (the neck is stable)
- Retraction (1-150msec) – “whiplash” starts where the head/neck stay in the original position but the trunk is moving forwards by the car seat. This is where the “S” shaped curve occurs (viewing the spine from the side).
- Extension (150-200msec) – the whole neck bends backwards (hopefully stopped by a properly placed head rest).
- Rebound (200-300msec) – the tight, stretched muscles in the front of the neck propels the head forward immediately after the extension phase.
- We simply cannot voluntarily contract our neck muscles fast enough to avoid injury, as injury to the neck occurs within 500msec. and voluntary contraction or bracing takes 800msec or longer.
- Injury is worse when the seat is reclined as our body can “ramp” up and over the seat and headrest. Also, a springy seat back increases the rebound affect.
- Prompt treatment is better than waiting for a long time. Manipulation is a highly effective (i.e., COME SEE US!) treatment option.
We realize you have a choice in where you choose your healthcare services. If you, a friend or family member requires care for whiplash, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward in serving you and your family both presently and in the future. Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Neck Pain – Chiropractic and the Older Patient
Clear Lake City Chiropractor Comments: People of all ages suffer from neck pain, and many frequently turn to chiropractors for care because it’s been found to be one of the most effective and efficient forms of treatment available, and it carries minimal side effects! It has been projected that by 2030, nearly one in five US residents will be 65 or older. Currently, approximately 14% of the patients treated by chiropractors are 65 or older, making it one of the most frequently utilized forms of complementary and alternative care used by older adults. What kind of care can a senior citizen expect when seeking treatment from a chiropractor? Let’s take a look!
Musculoskeletal pain, or pain in the neck, back, arms, and/or legs, drives the majority of elderly patients to chiropractors. While low back and neck pain are the most common complaints, it’s not unusual for patients to also have one or two other conditions (or more) that they did NOT know chiropractic care could help. In fact, common “goals” for managing every patient (not just the elderly) include services related to patient assessment, maintenance of health, and prevention of illness, in addition to treatment of illness or injury. Common chiropractic treatment approaches include spinal manipulation and/or mobilization, nutritional counseling, physical activity/exercise, and (especially important for the elderly population) fall prevention.
We will now focus on neck pain as it relates to the elderly population and the various chiropractic management strategies that might be encountered by an elderly patient. Common reasons patients present regarding the neck include limited movement, stiffness, and pain. Neck pain can also interfere with sleep, as finding a comfortable position in bed can be quite challenging! Lifting, carrying, and playing with grandchildren is a very common issue for either causing a new complaint or irritating an existing one. Neck pain may also interfere with reaching and lifting. Thus, activities like yard or garden work may become more difficult and less enjoyable. Neck pain is often associated with headaches, which can make daily tasks even more challenging.
When an elderly patient visits a chiropractor for the first time or for a new complaint, he/she can expect to fill out some initial paperwork, as well as provide a history of the main complaint and any lesser complaints. This may also include providing a family and medical history. The examination usually includes general observations, palpating or feeling for muscle tightness, tenderness, warm/ cool, range of spinal motion (neck, back, extremities), orthopedic tests, neurological tests, and possibly x-rays. Treatment of the neck may include massage or mobilization to loosen up the neck, manipulation to free up restricted joint motion, and even exercise training. The goal of treatment is to improve neck motion, activity tolerance, and quality of life (less pain, improved sleep, etc.). So, whether you are 10, 20, 50, 70, or 90 years old, give chiropractic a chance to help you manage your neck pain!
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Why Does My Neck Hurt So Much But My Car Only Got a Dent?
Clear Lake Area Chiropractor Comments: Whiplash pain can be much different from other types of injuries. When a car accident is severe, the pain will come on right away. If the injury produces a mild or moderate sprain, sometimes it takes a few days for the pain and inflammation to reach its maximum. Sometimes it is stiffness that is the prominent symptom and the patient notices this in the first few weeks after the accident. The delay in pain is often seen in low speed collisions where typically there is very less damage to the vehicles.
There are a lot of factors that determine the extent of injury following a low speed whiplash. One of these is the neck posture prior to impact. Was the head turned? This can occur if the patient was looking at the rear view mirror during the collision. Low speed collisions can occur in parking lots. If the patient was turned to see if a space was clear, this can make a simple trauma result in a significant injury.
Besides the position of the patient prior to the collision, the speed and amount of vehicle damage are sometimes good criteria for the severity of the trauma. However, it may not be in many cases because of crumple zones. Cars are built with crumple zones. These areas are crushed during the collision and absorb the energy of impact. In some low speed collisions, there is less crumple and more of the force is transmitted to the occupants. This is but one reason why vehicle damage won’t always equate with the spinal damage.
Another factor in whiplash is whether the head-rest was properly positioned. A proper head-rest should be close to the back of the head and its high point slightly above the top of the head. The reason for the high position is that in a rear-end collision, the patient who is being hit will rise slightly with impact. If the head- rest is too low, then the neck will bend around it like a fulcrum causing even more injury. The same thing happens if the seat is reclined too far and the head whips backwards before hitting the head-rest.
Because symptoms can come on slowly and minor vehicle damage is not a good indicator of injury, a thorough examination is required. It is important to be checked by a chiropractor or other competent health care provider after any motor vehicle collision.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
New York Times Article about Neck Pain
In this blog I would like people to read an article from the New York Times about neck pain. A new study shows that chiropractic care and exercises were more effective than medication in relief of neck pain. The relief was still better with chiropractic when the people were questioned one year latter. If you suffer from neck pain in Houston contact my office today for a consultation
Long-Term Results for Neck Injury
Clear Lake City Chiropractor Comments: A neck injury such as a pulled muscle or a “knot” in the muscle is something we’ve all experienced. These little aches and pains usually go away on their own, or with a little massage from a loved one. But sometimes the neck injury is more substantial, such as in a whiplash or sports injury. In the case of long term effects of whiplash or other neck injuries, the ligaments such as the disk can be injured, and the nerves can be inflamed and irritated as well.
The long-term effect for neck pain is not good. Patients continue to suffer years later. One study looked at outcomes after five years and found that about 50% of patients continued to have pain and disability.
When the ligaments and muscles of the cervical spine are injured, the patient may guard their movements and not use certain muscles. This can lead to muscle weakness over time. As the neck muscles go, so goes the rest of the spine, or at least that’s what recent research shows. The investigators looked at a specific exercise that used the core trunk muscles. They followed the neck pain patients for two years and found that those with neck pain tended to get trunk muscle dysfunction, and eventually low back pain.
Following traumatic injuries to the neck, it is important to have a proper examination including x-ray. Getting an accurate diagnosis is the first step to getting you the treatment you need.
One study has shown that early intervention (within 4 days) in whiplash injury such as whiplash treatment, gave patients more relief, when compared to delayed (14 days) treatment.
As discussed above, many patients become chronic and have long-term pain after neck injuries. Others will develop secondary low back pain two years down the road. Because of these long-term effects, it is important to treat neck injuries in a serious manner. Ice will usually not be sufficient. These mechanical types of problems are also not correctable through medications and neck collars.
Specific chiropractic care following sprains to the neck may move the joints into better alignment and ease tension on the tissues. Mobility disorders such as limited range can also be improved with specific adjustments. As the joints begin to move more normally, exercises can be added to improve strength and range of motion. By treating neck problems appropriately and early on, the patient will be afforded the best chance for long-term success.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment with your best chiropractor in Houston for neck pain treatment by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Whiplash – What Can Be Done To Help?
Houston Chiropractor Comments: Whiplash occurs when the neck is suddenly and forcefully jerked, and is typically associated with car crashes. The speed at which the neck is forced upon impact is faster than we can contract our muscles in attempt to stop the forceful movement. This results in muscle, tendon, and/or ligament over-stretching, even tearing. Symptoms include stiff and painful neck movements, weakness or, the head “feels heavy” making it challenging to “hold up” as well as headache, and sometimes dizziness, ear noises, TMJ or jaw pain, and “mental fog.” What should be done if a whiplash injury occurs?
The amount or degree of damage to the soft tissues – that is, the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and disks of the neck — will be the deciding factors as to how much rest vs. activity should be initially performed. If there are no fractures, dislocations or other injuries resulting in an unstable cervical spine (neck), studies have shown rest and a soft collar is actually harmful when compared to early return to activity and exercises. Chiropractic treatment, which essentially exercises the joints of the neck, has been shown to speed recovery when performed sooner rather than later after a whiplash injury. A handy way to classify the injury includes four categories: 1) Pain with no significant abnormal clinical findings; 2) Pain with mild clinical findings and range of motion loss; 3) Pain with neurological injury (resulting in radiating arm pain); and 4) Pain associated with fracture and/or dislocation. Those suffering with category 1 or 2 injuries should minimize rest, collar use, proceed with life’s activities and not be afraid to do desired activities. More aggressive exercise and, utilizing chiropractic adjustments as soon as possible are very effective in the first two categories of injury. Category 4 (fractures and dislocations) injuries require the use of a rigid collar usually for 4-6 weeks as rest/protection is imperative. Category 3 demands careful monitoring by your chiropractor as neurological problems like arm pain and numbness, muscle strength weakness, must be watched during the healing process. The use of ice is helpful with all four categories of injury and exercise training is important and can be started sooner in the first two categories of injury.
What can you do if you sustain a whiplash injury? The first order of self-help is the use of ice. This is a much better choice over the use of heat as ice reduces swelling and pain while heat can increase swelling because it brings in more blood flow into an already swollen area. The heat may feel good during its use but most patients report the pain either returns shortly thereafter or feels worse. Ice should be used for 20 minutes on followed by 40 minutes off. The old adage of “ice for 24 hours followed by heat” does NOT apply here as ice can be performed for as long as there is pain and/or inflammation. The good news is that you will never hurt yourself by using ice but, you can make it hurt worse by using heat too soon so, when in doubt, use ice! The next, very important, recommendation is to utilize exercises to stretch and strengthen the neck and upper back region. The “general rule” of exercise is slow repetitions staying within “reasonable” boundaries of pain. That is, a good, stretch type of pain is encouraged while avoiding sharp pain. We have discussed several very practical neck stretches and strengthening exercises previously and we will again address this in the future. Posture correction of chin tucks, keeping your head back over your shoulders is very helpful as well. We realize that you have a choice in where you choose for your healthcare services. If you, a friend or family member requires care for whiplash, chiropractic care is a logical first choice.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
Neck Pain and Pinched Nerves
Clear Lake City Chiropractor Comments: “I woke up yesterday morning with severe neck pain that radiates down my right arm to my hand and I can barely move my neck without producing the shooting arm pain.” Or, “…for the last few months, I’ve had this nagging pain in my neck and when I look up, my arm goes numb.” Or, “Every time I bend my head to the left, my left arm goes numb. I’ve noticed when I lift weights; I can only curl 15 lbs with my left arm compared to 35 lbs with the right.” These are common histories describing a classic “pinched nerve in the neck.” So, what is a “pinched nerve?” To answer this, let’s first look at what a “nerve” is.
In the diagram to the left, the nerves come off the spinal cord. Those in the neck region go down the arm and those in the low back go down the legs. The spinal cord is the “highway” that brings information from the nerves in the arms, legs, trunk, etc., to the brain where information is processed. The bony spine houses and protects the spinal cord and skull protects the brain but there is no bony protection for the nerves. Nerves bring information to the brain allowing us to feel, taste, smell, see, and move our legs and arms to perform complex movements like dancing, running, gymnastics, and so on. Information is constantly going to and from the brain to allow us to function normally. The nerve can get “pinched” anywhere along its course, including the wrist (carpal tunnel syndrome), elbow (cubital tunnel syndrome), shoulder (thoracic outlet syndrome), and/or neck (herniated disk and/or arthritis). This results in a slowing down of information transmission to/from the brain and numbness, pain, throbbing, as well as weakness in strength can occur.
There are two types of conditions that commonly pinch nerves, which generally occur at different times of life – those with a herniated disk (younger > older patients) and those with arthritis (older > younger patients). A combination of the two conditions producing the pinching effect on the nerve can also occur making the diagnosis process a little trickier. The following diagram helps explain these conditions:
The nerves exit the spine through holes that can be narrowed if the jelly central part of the disk herniates outward and into the nerve pushing it against the bone that makes up the hole through which it exits the spine. A “bone spur” (as shown in the diagram to the left, coming off the left facet joint) pushing into the nerve or the thickening of the ligaments that run inside the spinal canal (eg., ligamentum flavum) can also crowd these sensitive nerve structures and cause similar symptoms.
Both of these conditions are commonly treated by chiropractors. If you, a family member or a friend requires care, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our service. We are proud that chiropractic care has consistently scored the highest level of satisfaction when compared to other forms of health care provision and look forward in serving you and your family presently and in the future.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
The Truth About Neck Pain and Chiropractic Treatment
Neck pain is a very common complaint that chiropractic has been found to be very effective in treating. There are many causes of neck pain including posture related (such as a forward head carriage) and repetitive strain (such as long static holding of awkward positions). These two causes are very similar as the head weighs approximately 15 pounds and when held in a forward translated position for a lengthy time frame, the muscles fatigue and begin to ache. This is similar to holding a baby in your arms for a long time frame. We soon find ourselves moving the baby to the other arm or against our chest due to the gradual increasing strain placed our upper quarter muscles. Hence, we must similarly change the forward head position when we are working at the computer, listening or talking (especially if the person is not directly in front of you), reading a book, cooking, and so forth.
Another cause of neck pain is trauma. This could be from a car accident, a slip-and-fall injury, sports injury, and more. These injuries are highly variable as no two injuries or accidents are the same and, there are a wide variety of neck sizes in both length and girth and hence, the same trauma may hardly result in an injury in one person and greatly injure a smaller, more petite person. Your doctor of chiropractic will ask you about the “mechanism of injury” as that can give us clues about which tissues are injured. For example, in a motor vehicle collision, if the impact occurs from the side verses the rear end of the car, the tissues in the neck are stretched differently and the management/treatment may vary accordingly.
Other causes of neck pain include a “slipped” or herniated disk. A herniated disk is like a jelly donut where the jelly leaks out and presses against a nerve that travels down the arm. Symptoms often include pain, numb, tingling, burning, weakness, or combinations of these sensations down the course of the nerve. When this occurs, the person is usually quite specific about where the pain is traveling such as, “…it goes down my arm to my ring and little finger.”
Another cause can be related to natural aging process involving the “wearing out” process of the disk, joints, and muscle/ligament attachments. The term, “osteoarthritis” is commonly associated with these findings and is often blamed for neck pain, but this is controversial. First, osteoarthritis (OA) takes years to develop and many people have a significant amount of OA but literally no pain or symptoms while others with only a little x-ray evidence of OA present with an abundance of pain.
So, how do chiropractors manage all of these causes of neck pain? A thorough history, examination, and locating the positions of pain production verses pain relief are “key” to the successful management of patients with neck pain. For one patient, traction/stretching types of manual adjustment techniques work best while for the next, this may not be tolerated at all, which is why we “pre-position” the patient prior to administering an adjustment.
Other treatment considerations may include exercise instruction, physical therapy modalities (electric stimulation, ultrasound, etc.), the use of ice/heat or changes to your work station. If you, a family member or a friend require care, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our service.
We are proud that chiropractic care has consistently scored the highest level of satisfaction when compared to other forms of health care provision and we look forward in serving you and your family presently and in the future.
Dr. Ward Beecher practices at Beecher Chiropractic Clinic at 1001 Pineloch, Ste 700 Houston, TX 77062. You can schedule an appointment at BeecherChiropractic.com or by calling (281) 286-1300. If you have any questions regarding this blog, please comment below!
