The neck Controls your entire body
Cervical Spine Series 2- Why Is The Neck So Vital?
The answer to this question in short is, because the neck controls your entire body. If you experienced the effects of being in an auto accident, no matter how minor or major it was, then you probably understand the connection between the neck and your general health. Auto accidents often involve acceleration/deceleration injuries in which the head and neck are rapidly pulled into a forward and backward motion beyond the normal range of motion. This neck sprain/strain, termed “whiplash”, can involve an array of cascading or compounding symptoms. Although not all auto accident victims develop whiplash symptoms, the symptoms may not onset for days or longer post-accident.
Whiplash symptoms can also result from other type injuries: Sports injuries, falls, hitting the head getting into a vehicle or on an unseen overhang. However the injury occurs the symptoms may include pain in the head, neck, shoulders, upper back, down the arms or chest. Suffers of whiplash can have headaches, dizziness, nausea, ringing in the ears, changes in vision, taste or smell, numbness or tingling of varying distributions. Not all persons experiencing head and neck injuries experience the same symptoms and some may experience no symptoms. It is necessary to have a proper evaluation after any head and neck injury.
The neck controls the entire body and that makes is so vital to the individual nerve involvement with different symptoms and body functions:
C1- One of the most important vertebrae in the body to be aligned properly. This vertebrae alone affects: blood supply to the head, the pituitary gland, scalp, bones of the face, middle and inner ear, sympathetic nervous system. Other conditions are ear infections, headaches, nervousness, insomnia, head colds, high blood pressure, chronic tiredness, dizziness, vertigo.
C2- This vertebrae is also very important, and with it misaligned affects: eyes, optic nerve, sinuses, mastoid bone, tongue and forehead. Also very common issues with C1 and C2 vertebrae is balance and the vestibular system which misalignment can cause vertigo and dizziness, allergies, crossed eyes, deafness, eye trouble, earaches, fainting, some types of blindness.
C3- Commonly affects the trigeminal nerve which can cause trigeminal neuralgia. This is a facial pain that can be along three distributions involving the forehead, cheek, and jaw areas of the face, can also affect teeth pain, neuralgia, neuritis, acne, eczema.
C4- Affects mostly the diaphragm, also affects nose, lips, mouth and Eustachian tubes. This is important in breathing issues such as asthma and other forms of COPD. There have been cases where chiropractic has also helped the hiccups due to diaphragm spasm.
C5- Has sensory and motor nerves that affect the upper arm such as the muscles of the deltoid as well as the biceps muscle. It also affects the vocal cords, tonsils and glands in the jaw. This nerve can affect laryngitis, hoarseness, and other throat conditions. C6- Controls the muscles of the wrist and forearm that can cause false cases of carpal tunnel syndrome. It also is a major contributor to thoracic outlet syndrome causing numbness and tingling in the arms, hands, and fingers. This nerve can affect laryngitis, hoarseness, sore throat, stiff neck, pain in upper arm, tonsillitis, chronic cough and croup.
C7- The lowest cervical vertebrae, and also the controller of the triceps muscle in the back of the arm. This is also involved with cases that deal with numbness and tingling of the hands and fingers. Pain from this nerve being pinched can refer to the shoulder blade in the back as well as the back of the arm causing pins and needles sensation as well as a burning pain in the arm and back. This nerve can also affect the thyroid gland involving multiple hormones being affected. Symptoms can involve feelings of cold/hot, weight gain/loss, digestive conditions and other thyroid related conditions.
If you have experienced some type of injury to the head/neck, and never received proper evaluation, you could have a progressive spinal condition without experiencing any current symptoms. Just remember that the neck controls your entire body so is a vital part of health and the quality of life. A complete chiropractic evaluation can establish the current function of your nervous system, along with any necessary x-rays to evaluate any underlying problems which may contribute to your current and future health status. Don’t wait any longer, you are worth it!
Contact your Tempe Chiropractor Today!
Reed Chiropractic
250 W. Baseline Rd. #107
Tempe, AZ 85283
