Neck pain is a common occurrence and complaint treated by chiropractic doctors. As primary health care providers, chiropractors are highly trained to diagnose and treat conditions related to the nerves, muscles, ligaments, and joints of your body. Cervical facets are the neck joints that form by adjacent vertebra (bones) that stack up on each other and allow for movement. These joints, like the joints in your low back, can become inflamed, irritated, or injured and cause pain and other symptoms leading to cervical facet syndrome.
Symptoms of cervical facet syndrome may begin as intermittent pain occurring a few times per month. As inflammation settles in the joints, you might experience tenderness of the area to the touch. As symptoms persist, you might begin to experience some loss of flexibility as the surrounding muscles begin to tighten up and guard to protect the area and extending the neck backwards may be quite painful. In more involved cases, you might experience radiation of pain (shooting pain) locally into the shoulders and upper back.
Cervical facet syndrome commonly occurs following a whiplash type injury where there is a sudden forward flexion movement of the neck followed by a backward extension and forceful compression of the facet joints. Degenerative changes seen with aging and repetitive movements can also cause the joints to become worn down, inflamed, painful, and swollen. Other risk factors include overuse due to sports or heavy labour, sudden jerk-like movements of the neck, and sleeping with a twisted neck.
Chiropractors are highly skilled and trained to diagnose and effectively treat cervical facet syndrome and other neck-related conditions. Various treatment options, such as soft tissue therapy, acupuncture, stretches, and exercises might be used to help to decrease pain and restore movement. Don’t let your pain stop you from engaging in your daily activities.
Call YOUR HEALTH Wellness Centre today and see how Chiropractic care can help you get back to your daily activities with less pain and improved function.
