An Alternative and Natural Way To Treat Stiff Neck
What is Stiff Neck?
Stiff neck is a common musculoskeletal disorder characterized by stiffness and soreness when moving the neck. In addition to being painful, stiff neck can be extremely debilitating in a practical sense, impairing your visual range and potentially rendering you unable to drive a vehicle.
Signs and Symptoms of Stiff Neck
Like many musculoskeletal conditions, a diagnosis of stiff neck is typically prefaced by a gradual uptick in symptom severity and frequency. In addition to the common symptoms of stiffness and soreness, stiff neck is usually accompanied by one or more of the following symptoms: more frequent headaches, shoulder pain, lower back pain, and postural changes (i.e. having to turn the whole body around just to look sideways).
How the Upper Cervical Spine Affects Stiff Neck
The position of the neck is intimately connected to the alignment of the spinal column, this is especially true of the vertebra which make up the upper cervical spine. If vertebra in this region become misaligned, whether by trauma or long-term poor posture, the ensuing inflammation and musculature tension can tug the scalene muscles of the neck forward and pull the neck out of a neutral posture, increasing spinal tension and producing a general feeling of stiffness and soreness.
For people suffering from stiff neck, some of the most common causes of cervical misalignment are awkward sleeping habits, hunched posture when using a mobile phone, poor seated posture, and excessive left-to-right rotation of the neck (i.e. overtraining the freestyle swimming stroke).
How Our Stiff Neck Treatment Works
When the underlying cause of stiff neck is a misalignment in the upper cervical spine, the first thing Dr. Kramer and his team will do is locate the exact position and angulation of the misaligned vertebra. To do this, we use a combination of digital X-rays and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans.
Using this information, Dr. Kramer will attempt to realign the misalignment in question using a personalized chiropractic adjustment program. If you’re nervous about this stage, don’t be! Dr Kramer and his team will never use techniques which pop, crack, or twist the spine. By reestablishing natural alignment along the upper cervical spine, we hope to alleviate and potentially even eliminate the symptoms of stiff neck. However, if you want to keep stiff neck from returning, you may also need to improve your posture and sleeping habits.
If you’re sick of dealing with stiff neck syndrome, get in touch with us today! To schedule a free consultation with Dr. Kramer, call Upper Cervical Chiropractic on (702) 202-0808 or click here to input your contact details. We offer stiff neck treatment across Las Vegas, Clark County, and the wider region, including in Arizona, Utah, and California.