Many patients don’t even realize that they are dealing with a cervical spine misalignment. That is because the symptoms are quite easy to miss. Too many men and women do not even realize that their spine is misaligned because they don’t feel any sort of problem in their back or neck. In other cases, the patient does feel some discomfort or pain, but it is misdiagnosed or passed over completely.
When a misalignment of the spine is missed by the patient or doctor, the spinal cord becomes compressed, which in turn makes it very hard for it to relay signals to your nerves. After a time, long-term consequences can occur.
There are a number of different ways in which a cervical spine misalignment may affect you. Read on to learn more.
1. It Will Change Your Posture
When you have a misalignment in your spine, you will likely have a change in your posture if it is left untreated. However, this change happens very slowly. Many people don’t even notice that their posture is becoming worse until it is too late.
While it won’t always affect how you function right away, over time a change in posture definitely will. It will affect how your body is able to support itself, leading to long-term problems that can also include aesthetic changes.
2. It Causes Sleeping Problems
A change in your alignment will also bring about neck and shoulder pain. When your neck and shoulders are aching and sore, you will likely find it difficult to get comfortable sleeping on your back.
You may end up tossing and turning looking for the best way to sleep. Stomach and side sleeping are normal for patients with a misalignment of the spine. However, your sleep may be interrupted night after night as you struggle to find a comfortable spot, causing a slew of other health problems.
3. You’ll Become More Stressed Over Time
A misalignment can cause changes to occur inside your brain. Of course, these changes can easily cause you to become stressed out more than you already are. Not only do you have to worry about your typical daily problems, now you are dealing with moderate to severe pain from a spinal misalignment.
You may also experience other types of psychological disorders, such as depression. It is important to talk to a chiropractor or doctor before this occurs.
4. Your Metabolism Will be Affected
When you experience internal changes to the brain, this can easily affect the way your metabolism functions. A change in metabolism can also bring about other disorders that will greatly disrupt your life, such as irritable bowel syndrome. For men and women who are getting older and already dealing with a slower metabolism, this can cause even more problems.
5. Cerebral Spinal Fluid Can Build Up
A spine misalignment can also cause cerebral spinal fluid to build up in the spaces found between the beginning of your spinal cord and the base of your skull. When this fluid builds up, pressure begins to grow on your brain. This pressure will then affect the way your brain works. While these types of cases are rare, they do happen and are cause for immediate treatment.
6. Muscle Aches are Common
This sort of spine misalignment is well-known to cause a lot of muscle pain. Nerve damage can occur from the misalignment, causing moderate to severe muscular pain to occur. Over time this pain can increase. Treatment is greatly recommended for anyone suffering from this type of pain.
Cervical spine misalignment can cause the above problems and more. It’s easy to try to ignore these issues, especially when they first appear. Many men and women tend to address them by taking over-the-counter or prescription drugs to make the pain they feel go away.
While this may work as a temporary solution, medication is only masking the underlying problem. It’s important to take care of any cervical spine misalignment you are experiencing with professional help before it gets worse.
Cervical Misalignment Treatments
The following are a few methods that you can use if you are experiencing cervical spine misalignment.
1. Chiropractic Care
Making an appointment with a chiropractor is the first step to a better you. A reputable chiropractor can diagnose the issue and explain exactly what is going on with your spine. They will diagnose your condition and provide the help you need to improve the alignment of your spine.
2. Prone Adjustment
A manual adjustment of the multiple vertebrae in your spine may be the first step. A chiropractor will carefully adjust each vertebra of your spine during different sessions. They will not adjust the whole spine at once. After every session, the chiropractor will go over the results of the procedure.
3. Cold Laser Therapy
Cold laser therapy is another method done by a chiropractor that can help ease your pain and get rid of your misalignment symptoms. It works by ridding your body of both neck and muscular pain. Many chiropractors also use cold laser therapy to treat pain that is related to various orthopedic disorders as well.
4. Activator Method Adjusting
Chiropractors often use a technique called an Activator Method Adjustment to work on patients with spinal misalignment. The Activator tool provides a high-speed adjustment on a person with a misaligned spinal cord. The procedure is not painful at all as it lacks force, but it has been shown to be very effective in treating the condition.
When you are ready to take care of your body by addressing your spine misalignment, a qualified chiropractor is the first person you should call. Cervical spine alignment will help your body stay in tip-top condition. You’ll be able to take care of your daily chores and functions without the pain you are used to experiencing. The above treatments will assist you when you decide to take action against the misalignment of the cervical spine area in your body.
Don’t hesitate to get the assistance that you need. Give us a call today and take the first step to relieve your pain. Pro-Active Chiropractic offers cervical spine alignment treatments from a reputable, knowledgeable Santa Fe chiropractor who will take your problems seriously.