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Neck Pain: where is it most commonly coming from in my cervical spine?
In the diagnosing and treatment of neck pain, the chiropractic clinicians at Healing Hands Wellness Center in Highland Park/ St Paul Minnesota recognize the significant involvement of specific cervical segments most frequently injured.
Neck pain most frequently involves specific segments of the cervical spinal. This includes their particular muscles associated tendons as well as immediate cervical spinal ligaments, including the intervertebral disc. In injury and or overexertion through personal motor vehicle, work injury or sporting activity, and house related repetitive activity strain to these given levels and their para-spinal tissues will most commonly cause neck pain related to these levels to develop.
Panjabi and his co-workers investigated cervical cadavers to study 30 degrees and 150 degree fibers at different disc depths, as well as between different segments or levels of the cervical spine. They found that the collagenous fibers within the discs fibers at C4-C5 [4th and 5th levels of the 7 total cervical segments] levels were most likely affected by frank injury to the spine, such as in a car accident.
Panjabi MM, Ito S, Pearson AM, and Ivanovic PC. Injury mechanisms to the cervical IVD during simulated whiplash. Spine 2004; 29(11):1224.
The study revealed and confirmed the specific cervical levels of the neck most likely to become painful after injury [in the case of their study a motor vehicle accident]. In all medical probability the same levels of the neck would most frequently be involved in mild to moderate injury and inflammation associated with repetitive lifting, carrying or reaching activity.
In any such everyday occurrence of neck complaints, a patient will present to the chiropractic clinic with neck or back pain following yard or cleaning activity. In this situation, the intervertebral disc, which has a composite structure of inter-layered fibers, as well as spinal muscle and ligaments, have all been compromised to some degree. Associated loss of spinal alignment, imbalanced segmental movement from side to side as well as front to back can cause neck pain to develop most frequently at predictable levels.
In bending, reaching and lifting repeatedly to put racked leaves into bags, spinal ligaments and discs at these levels may be simultaneously overstressed [compressed and twisted] from the added strain placed upon muscles of the neck, arms and back during yard work. Even such minor strains upon the neck structures can equate to significant injury to the ligament, muscle or disc at C4 and C5.
This accumulated biomechanical cervical, without corrective chiropractic care to alleviate it, can lead to changes [cracks or fissures] in the discs resulting in premature disc degeneration. When timely active chiropractic care is not obtained, repetitive strain from work or household activities, such bending, lifting or carrying, as well as strain from personal injury can lead to unwanted degeneration of these cervical structures and loss of proper spinal nerve tone or conductivity.
Move Well and Stay Healthy
Robert C Slater BA, MSc, DC, CME
635 Cleveland Ave S #1
St Paul Minnesota 55116
Ph: 651-699-3366