The Neck is our Specialty
The Atlas Family Health Center in Columbus, Ohio has been serving people since 1968 who suffer from problems in the neck. We focus on the neck because problems with the nerves in the neck can dramatically affect the function of the entire body. Sometimes, however, the problem with the neck is just a problem in the neck, and you still deserve the best care possible to correct the cause.
Whiplash
Whiplash is described as an injury to the cervical spine that happens as a result of sudden
acceleration and deceleration, most notably with rear end automobile collisions. As the car is suddenly struck from behind, the occupant’s bodies are jolted forward while the head stays in the same position. This causes a spontaneous deformation of the curve in the neck which can damage ligaments that holdthe bones in their natural alignment. At the peak of the whiplash injury the head is thrown back with the neck going into complete hyper extension and great load is placed on ligaments, discs, and joints of the neck. Even a 5mph collision places 4.5 times the force of gravity on the neck and skull.
Although some people may not have immediate symptoms, people affected by whiplash type injuries often suffer chronic neck pain for years after their injury. It is also common for patients to develop pins and needles in the arms as well as headaches. Due to the lack of bony locks in the upper cervical spine, this area is especially vulnerable to misalignment in these injuries. After the misalignment is created, it begins to disrupt the nerves going to the muscles of the neck. This can be a long term complication that slows patients healing and recovery.
Neck Pain
Neck Pain is another very common problem experienced by 10%-21% of the population at any given time. Neck pain tends to be more common in woman, office workers, and computer workers. There can be many causes of neck pain from traumas and automobile accidents to slowly developing postural distortions and muscle strains. The main source of neck pain however, usually come from joint related issues. For example; large studies on arthritis show that although degeneration can cause stiffness and lack of mobility in the neck, it rarely causes pain. Dysfunction of the joints in the lower neck can radiate pain across the shoulders while dysfunction of the joints in the upper neck can refer pain across the back of the neck and over the top of the skull.
Typical medical treatments for neck pain include pain killers, muscle relaxants, physical therapy, injections, anti-inflammatorys, ergonomics, tens, and in surgery. The most common cause of neck pain is misalignment in the upper neck altering the mechanics of the joints and disrupting normal nerve function. If this is the cause of your neck pain, upper cervical chiropractic has proven to be the most effective solution to returning normal motion to the joints and normal function to your nervous system.
Concussion
Concussions, also known as traumatic brain injury, is a terrible injury that is unfortunately becoming more common. When a person receives a strong blow to the skull, usually through a car accident or sports injury, the brain is momentarily jarred inside the cranial vault. When this happens, it can strike against the wall of the skull and create direct damage to the brain tissue. This can include tearing of the stabilizing fibers between the brain and skull, bruising of the tissues, or tearing of arteries. The resultant symptomatology can be widely diverse depending on which part of the brain was damaged. This can include prolonged dizziness, confusion, headaches, fuzzy vision, nausea, emotional disturbances, sleeping problems, and not being able to think clearly.
Typical medical treatment involves rest and avoiding provocative activities. The more recent research is showing further involvement of the cervical spine in post concussive type injuries. Whenever a forceful trauma to the head occurs, there is a strong chance that a misalignment in the upper neck can be created. These misalignments can alter drainage of fluids out of the skull, blood flow into the brainstem, as well as create direct pressure on nerves and other tissues that may contribute to the overall functional disruption and symptomatic presentation of the patient.
How Our Upper Cervical Doctors Chiropractors Can Help
The Atlas Family Health Center uses a revolutionary healthcare procedure called the Advance Orthogonal technique. This chiropractic procedure identifies subtle but serious misalignments of the top vertebrae in the neck, and corrects them using a precision percussion-wave adjustment. Due to the proximity of these bones to the brain stem and its mission of nerve transmission to the body, this procedure can help with a wide variety of conditions. The Atlas Family Health Center is renown in how it has been able to help many patients with Whiplash, Neck Pain, and Concussion.