It’s Often Coming From The Neck…
There’s information available that I am now realizing a lot of people don’t have. The symptom is not always where the problem is located. What do I mean? I’ll give you two common examples: headaches and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Headaches are so often coming from a problem in the neck that there is a name for it; the cervicogenic headache or “headache from the neck.” If the vertebrae in your neck are out of their normal position and creating inflammation, swelling, and pressure on nerves, the common symptom that will result is the headache.
You rest, you take anti-inflammatories, maybe you even put ice on your head. Eventually it subsides, but comes back again the moment your neck goes through some additional strain, (like sitting in front of the computer).
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome started to show up more frequently with extended computer use. We were using your hands and wrists differently than we had before. The keyboards changed, the mouse changed, and we learned to adjust our chair and monitor. Still, many frequent computer users still have all of these items out of their ideal position, causing strain on the various body parts including the neck.
What they’ve found is that treating the neck can result in a decrease in symptoms in the wrist. How does that work? If the vertebrae in the neck move out of their normal position, they can cause pressure and stress on the nerves in the neck. It’s those same nerves that run down the length of your arms, down into your wrists and fingers. Any pressure along that nerve path and you can symptoms anywhere along the nerve.
So how do you know where your symptoms are really coming from? No one can tell you just by talking to you. An examination is needed to see if you have problems in areas that aren’t exactly where your pain is, but directly related. Take the time to have a chiropractor take a look at your real problem. Headaches and carpal tunnel symptoms are common reasons why someone considers chiropractic care.
Maybe you should too.