Table of Contents
Neck pain is the most common type of pain a person will experience. It can be caused by injury, muscle strain, poor posture, or arthritis. When you start to feel neck pain, it can be challenging to pinpoint the cause and even harder to find relief from your symptoms. If you have been experiencing neck pain for an extended period, it might be time to see a specialist who understands what causes neck problems and how they should be treated.
When looking for an upper cervical doctor near you, the best thing you can do is research their credentials before making any decisions about which one to choose. Here's your quick guide on how to find the right specialist for your distinctive requirements.
What Is An Upper Cervical Specialist And What Does It Do?
An upper cervical specialist is a chiropractor who specializes in treating the neck and spine. They can help relieve pain, numbness, or tingling sensations sometimes referred to as radiculopathy. This condition affects the nerves which surround the spine. Upper cervical specialists are also trained to diagnose and treat herniated discs, spinal stenosis, or spondylolisthesis.
Why Should I See An Upper Cervical Specialist?
Upper cervical specialists offer a wide range of treatments for neck pain, including adjustments, manipulation, physical therapy, exercises, and medication management. They will review your medical history to determine what might be causing neck problems and how they should be treated.
Suppose an upper cervical specialist cannot help you. In that case, they can refer you for further treatment with other healthcare professionals who may specialize in treating chronic pain disorders like back surgery or nerve blocks.
Some people have found that an upper cervical doctor is their only hope of managing chronic pain problems, debilitating to their quality of life.
What Is Radiculopathy?
Radiculopathy refers to nerve damage when spinal nerves get pinched from an injury or condition such as arthritis. This can cause pain, numbness, or tingling sensations in the arm and leg. Upper cervical specialists are trained to diagnose this condition which is then treated with adjustments, manipulations, medications, and physical therapy.
What To Expect From An Upper Cervical Specialist?
An upper cervical physician will spend time discussing your medical history and symptoms before using methods such as adjustments, manipulations, physical therapy, or medications to treat neck pain.
Upper cervical physicians might recommend exercises that strengthen weak muscles and improve posture while reducing discomfort from chronic headaches by relieving pressure on the brain stem.
They may also advise what lifestyle changes may help reduce neck pain, such as stopping smoking or reducing caffeine intake.
An upper cervical specialist may also test your nerves and spine using imaging methods such as X-ray, MRI, or CT scans, taking pictures of the spinal column to spot any abnormalities. In some cases, they might perform surgery if an abnormality is found, leading to severe complications down the road.
How Can An Upper Cervical Specialist Help With My Neck Pain And Numbness?
The doctor will conduct a thorough examination of your symptoms to fully understand what you are experiencing and how it should be treated. The lower back may also need treatment depending on why the patient has developed these symptoms; however, fixing this problem alone won't improve the signs in and around your neck.
The doctor will consider any other medical conditions affecting you, such as a pinched nerve or arthritis. They'll also check for thyroid problems, which can contribute to cervical spine pain. If any issues are found with these areas of concern during the examination, those would need to be treated first before proceeding with treatment on your upper cervical region.
To treat your neck pain and numbness, the doctor will do a series of adjustments to your upper cervical spine. The goal is to stop any pinching or nerve interference causing these symptoms and decrease inflammation in this area of your spine.
The adjustment is performed by pushing down on the top two vertebrae at the neck while also pressing them towards one another until they no longer touch each other but still have pressure applied from both directions. This sort of movement (called "levering") should not be painful during the process because it only needs to be strong enough for you to feel like something has changed without actually hurting you - this usually takes under 20 seconds per side.
Afterward, if there was pain relief experienced, we'll know where exactly along the spine the problem was, which will help us determine what else needs to be done. Additional treatments may include physical therapy, ultrasound techniques, or cortisone injections into your joint spaces around the neck and upper back.
These are all designed to reduce inflammation in these areas to function more normally without any pain being felt. However, after receiving treatment from an upper cervical specialist for many years, it's been proven that adjustments alone have enough potency to provide excellent relief as well - with no other procedures necessary.
Why Are Upper Cervical Specialists Different From Other Doctors?
Upper cervical specialists are different from traditional doctors in that they look at the neck instead of focusing on other areas. They are trained to identify and treat spinal problems differently from doctors who don't have this training, and their treatment is often more effective because it targets the cause of your pain instead of just treating symptoms.
A specialist like Dr. Rob Neuenschwander of Neu Life Chiropractic in Tomball, TX, will also be able to tell if you need any special accommodations during procedures or exams due to medical conditions like diabetes, arthritis, or pregnancy without a lot of additional testing. This can save time and money since people with these conditions may not require extensive work-ups for other issues related to them while under the care of an upper cervical doctor.
Additionally, patients generally feel much better after seeing an Upper Cervical Doctor because they address the cause of their problem. These specialists can adjust the bones in your neck and spine, which will relieve pressure on nerves that can cause symptoms such as tingling or numbness.
So why should you see an Upper Cervical Specialist? They are trained specifically for this type of work. You'll feel better after seeing one because they treat the underlying problem instead of just treating the symptoms. Plus, these specialists know how to help people with certain medical conditions like arthritis without testing since their specialist care won't be needed.
You may also visit this website: https://neulifechiro.com to help you understand why seeing an upper cervical specialist near you provides relief to your particular problem.
Why Should You Visit An Upper cervical Specialist For Your Neck Pain?
Upper cervical specialists are chiropractors that focus exclusively on the upper neck and spine. The treatment they offer is very different from what standard chiropractic provides, meaning you have to see an upper cervical specialist for your pain instead of just seeing any old doctor.
Who Should Consider Seeing An Upper Cervical Specialist?
Anyone suffering from chronic or acute neck pain should consider visiting an upper cervical specialist near them if:
- They want to make sure their symptoms don't lead to more severe conditions like scoliosis or spinal cord injury;
- They're experiencing headaches/migraines, dizziness, numbness in hands and feet;
- Their symptoms are not improving after two weeks of care.
What Types of Conditions Can Upper Cervical Specialists Help With?
- Neck pain from whiplash, arthritis or other neck injuries can often be helped with upper cervical care.
- Headaches and migraines are common conditions that respond well to treatment given by a specialist in this area.
- Dizziness, numbness, and tingling in hands/feet also improve after the proper diagnosis is made.
How Does Upper Cervical Care Work?
An upper cervical specialist uses gentle manipulation of your head and neck to restore mobility. It has been lost due to injury or inflammation caused by various factors such as stress or poor posture. One session usually lasts around 30 minutes but may last longer depending on the severity of your condition.
What Are The Benefits Of Upper Cervical Care?
An upper cervical specialist focuses exclusively on the neck and spine, unlike a regular chiropractor who may also be trained in other fields like nutrition or massage therapy. This means that an upper cervical specialist has more time to focus on you and will have no problem treating those pesky symptoms just around the area they specialize in.
When not treated properly, chronic injuries can lead to worsening conditions such as scoliosis or spinal cord injury, which is why it's so crucial for patients with back pain to seek out professional help before things get worse! In addition, if any care at all doesn't show improvement after two weeks, then someone should visit an upper cervical specialist near them to get the problem diagnosed and treated.
Lower back pain is often caused by poor posture, an injury, or herniated disc, which means it's essential for people who suffer from low-back pain symptoms to see a chiropractor ASAP. Upper cervical specialists are experts in this type of care, so they're able to provide help quickly without risking worsening the condition that brought you into their office in the first place.
Suppose your neck and spine have been injured through whiplash, arthritis, or other injuries. In that case, seeing an upper cervical specialist can help manage chronic conditions and restore mobility where it has been lost due to swelling/injury. The gentle manipulation techniques used by these practitioners also help relieve headaches, migraines, and dizziness, which is excellent for those who often experience these symptoms.
In short, if you suffer from any neck pain, then upper cervical specialists are the perfect people to see to get diagnosed quickly and treated right away. And since they're experts when it comes to this condition only, you can be sure your time will not be wasted with a diagnosis that doesn't apply or treatments that don't work.
Who Should See An Upper Cervical Specialist?
- People who are having neck pain or headaches, especially if they are new to the problem
- People with a history of certain types of head and neck injuries
- Anyone who has been in an accident where their body suffered trauma
- People whose work requires them to sit for hours at a time without breaks. Usually, this is a computer-related job, but it could be any job that doesn't allow you to move around often enough, like being confined to one spot on the assembly line all day long. Jobs such as these can contribute towards carpal tunnel syndrome, which may require surgery and will not go away until your wrist heals from nerve damage.
- People who have had whiplash injury(s). This type of injury usually happens when the head and neck are pulled in a sudden forward or backward motion.
- If you have multiple issues, it might be time to see an Upper Cervical Specialist near you.
An upper cervical specialist sees patients with nerve problems coming from their upper spine that affect other body parts like your arms, legs, face, eyesight, and hearing. Some people call these specialists "nerve doctors" or "neurologists."
They are different from chiropractors because they specialize in treating radicular pain (pain caused by pressure on nerves). A medical doctor can refer you to one if they think surgery would help relieve your symptoms.
What type of treatment does an Upper Cervical Specialist near me provide?
An Upper Cervical Specialist will usually perform a hands-on exam of your neck and upper spine to identify the cause of your pain. https://littlescholarsnyc.com/ Common causes include:
- herniated discs,
- bone spurs (excess bone),
- arthritis,
- a pinched nerve(s)
- cervical stenosis, which is when the spinal canal becomes narrower and restricts motion.
Your Upper Cervical Specialist may refer you to a specialist like a neurosurgeon if surgery is needed. If there's something that an upper cervical specialist can't help with, they will usually prescribe medication or physical therapy, which might include things like:
- Chiropractic care.
- Acupuncture.
- Massage therapy (hands-on).
- Dry needling (a type of bodywork for chronic pain).
These treatments are called "complementary" because they work well alongside traditional medical treatment rather than replace it.
Causes And Symptoms Of Neck pain
All people can experience neck pain from time to time, but many things can cause this. Common causes for neck pain include poor posture, sleeping on your stomach or in a position other than on the back, holding excess weight around your waistline, and using only one arm while doing tasks such as cooking or gardening; car accidents.
Other possible reasons for chronic neck pain may be arthritis or herniated discs between the spine's vertebrae.
Symptoms may vary depending upon which condition is causing them. For instance, if you have disc problems, you might experience stiffness when trying to turn your head side-to-side and weakness in certain areas of motion. If a muscle spasm causes it, then you may feel pain when trying to move your neck.
Treatment Options For Neck Pain And What You Can Do Yourself
If the cause of your neck pain isn't anything serious, there are some steps that you can take to help minimize it:
- Sleep on your back;
- Do not lie down for long periods while watching TV or reading books in bed;
- Use pillows under both knees while sleeping and sitting up (to avoid slouching).
If these don't work, seek out medical attention from an upper cervical specialist. You should also ask about physical therapy, as this non-surgical treatment method has been proven effective at easing symptoms related to headaches and sore necks. The therapist will build exercises that you can do at home to help strengthen your neck and shoulders.
What To Expect During Your First Visit With an Upper Cervical Specialist
There are several reasons why people visit an Upper Cervical Specialist. Some come because they have pain in their neck, arm, or shoulder that traditional treatments such as massage therapy and chiropractic care are not relieved. Others might be suffering from chronic headaches, dizziness, tinnitus (ringing ears), or hearing loss which can sometimes be traced to the upper cervical spine and brainstem.
People with more severe conditions, including strokes, cerebral palsy, or multiple sclerosis, may also benefit from seeing an Upper Cervical Specialist for help when other treatments fail to provide relief. If you're looking for resources on finding a doctor specializing in treating upper cervical spine problems, we recommend visiting this website: https://neulifechiro.com.
How Do I Find An Upper Cervical Specialist For Your Needs
To find an upper cervical specialist, it's essential to research their credentials before deciding who would be best for your needs. Below is some advice on how to do that:
- Visit the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) website. They offer a directory of chiropractors across North America by location - enter your zip code or city name if searching for nearby professionals.
- Check out their list of FAQs, including questions about finding chiropractors who are specialists in a specific type of condition.
- Reach out to friends who live nearby if they have used a doctor before. Ask them how their experience was and what qualifications were essential to them when seeking treatment from an upper cervical specialist.
Final Words
Finding relief from your neck pain can be a challenge. Upper cervical specialists have many years of training and experience to help you find relief from your neck pain so that you can live life the way it was meant to be lived. Remember, if you're looking for an upper cervical specialist near you, make sure they are qualified by checking their credentials and reading reviews about them online before committing to treatment options.