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Neck Pain Disorders
on May 10, 2022
Injured?
Imagine waking up, after a full night of sleep, without pain, thinking clearly all day, calm and focused even under stress. Like you were before the injury. Most people will recover from minor to moderate injuries. But for some, symptoms get worse, sometimes years later, when their injuries only received pain management and not proper rehabilitation.
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What are the 5 types of injuries?
1. Soft Tissue Injuries are most common, including bruises, burns and cuts, sprains and strains.
2. Broken bones from microfractures, hard to see on x-ray to compound fractures that poke right through the skin.
3. Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) with three grades of severity, any loss of consciousness even for a moment must be considered significant.
4. Spinal Cord Injuries both TBI and spine injury are considered the longest to heal and most potentially dangerous.
5. Psychological Injuries. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can be a lifelong disability, devastating families. And causing physical harm in the brain and body.
How long after an injury can you feel delayed pain?
It is important to get evaluated by an injury expert as soon as possible. For your health and legal protection. While some serious injuries may not feel bad for several days, insurance companies will fight if not documented within a day or two of the injury.
In many cases, the pain of an auto accident isn't felt right away, sometimes you won't realize you have a significant injury until later. Cuts and bruises that are superficial will generally be apparent right away. Deeper injuries, such as whiplash or brain trauma (TBI), can take longer to show up. It can take days for the initial symptoms to show up, weeks for delayed symptoms and months to years for the full impairment to manifest.
Any traumatic injury might have a significant influence on your mental and emotional well-being. Depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) linked to a car crash and associated injuries might develop weeks, months, or even years later.
Can whiplash symptoms get worse over time?
Physical changes occur to the cervical spine after an injury, Especially the upper cervical spine or cervicocranial junction (where the base of the skull meets the neck). If these misalignments are not rehabilitated, discomfort typically persists, recurs or get worse with time.
Can a car accident cause chronic pain?
Hidden wounds, upper cervical misalignments, from an accident can cause intense suffering and disabling pain long after the event is forgotten. The National Institute of Health (NIH) states that unchecked injuries from vehicle accidents often results in chronic pain, defined as pain that persists beyond three months.
Can an injury cause arthritis to flare up?
When bones or joint cartilage are damaged, that can lead to osteoarthritis flare-ups.
The connective tissue that connects two bones and allows for smooth motion and movement is known as joint cartilage. Injuries alter how a joint works, (sprains) causing cartilage to deteriorate faster, further, and cause flare-ups to pre-existing arthritis.
Is post-traumatic arthritis a disability?
Pain from arthritis in one or more joints can become completely debilitating in addition to disability caused by loss of mobility.
What’s the real cost of injury?
Future medical bills, over the counter and internet remedies, as well as rehabilitation expenses. The increased risk of all degenerative diseases as a direct and indirect result of the injury. Missed wages from work and future earnings and benefits that will be lost. The constant distraction of pain that disrupts creativity and critical thinking. The loss of activities you can no longer do because of your injuries, missed special events with family and friends. Limitations on your freedom. All need to be assessed.
What are long-term injuries?
A long-term injury needs continued medical treatment or causes pain and suffering for a lengthy period. Long-term injuries commonly affect joints and nerves especially in the neck and back.
What is the injury mental health connection?
Depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder can all result from a serious accident or chronic condition. Poor mental health might have an adverse influence on the physical injury and recovery.
What injury has the longest recovery time?
Barring nutritional deficiency, medications and preexisting illness, bones repair themselves within eight weeks. Depending on age, extent of injury, health and appropriate treatment, ligaments and cartilage heal to approximately 80% of preinjury status within twelve weeks. Nerves can take longer, about the speed that hair grows, sometimes nerves never heal but can instead repurpose different undamaged nerves.
But since arthritis in the neck, because of injury, has been linked to future loss of brain mass and functionality… Neck injury, especially without upper cervical or cervicocranial alignment, balance and coordination rehabilitation takes the longest.
What are the 3 stages of healing?
Inflammation
– An important part of healing. When tissue is injured, it releases chemical signals that cause the blood vessels to widen. This makes the injury look red and feel hot. The cells that release these signals are called mast cells, and they release a powerful vasodilator called histamine in response to injury. That causes swelling to act like a brace or a cast around the injured tissues. Pain receptors in the area are amplified to help prevent further injury. This critical phase of healing can last for more than three days but should not be disrupted by misguided anti-inflammatory pain management.
Proliferative
– This stage should begin within three days of injury, triggered by inflammation. When inflammation activates repair cells called fibroblasts, they create collagen. Collagen is the tough white fibers that form the framework for new tissue. The wound begins to fill in with new tissue, known as granulation tissue. The edges of the injury draw closer together, reducing the size of the wound.
Remodeling
– Also known as maturation phase, is the last stage in wound healing can last over 2 years. Collagen synthesis continues to reinforce the tissue. The tissues are remodeled as a result of stress forcing fibers to reorganize in form and function.
What is the chronic stage of injury?
After an injury, there will be inflammation, swelling, and discomfort as the body heals itself. The soft tissue repair process goes through proliferation of new tissue and then remodeling that tissue to act like new. Depending on the damage, treatment given, and healing potential of the injured person, this phase might begin in less than twelve weeks but could last years.
Can ibuprofen help an injury heal?
Anti-inflammatory medications (such as ibuprofen or naproxen) do not aid in the healing process in most situations. In fact, it has been shown that ibuprofen may harm rather than assist with the recovery process. It's critical to avoid taking ibuprofen for 48 hours after an accident. The problem is that inflammation is a key component of the healing process. Because their impact on critical phases of healing, such as inflammation, proliferation, remodeling, and ultimately the clinical result, anti-inflammatory medications, even over the counter, should only be used with extreme caution.
Do prescription painkillers slow healing?
Injury patients who take doses of 10 mg or more per day of painkillers have slower wound healing rates and a reduced probability of healing than those who take less than 10 mg, or no medication at all.
Why is pain necessary for healing?
Pain is important because it helps the first stages of healing to take place, protected from further injury. As pain naturally fades and mobility improves, normal movement and activities can resume. This exposes the healing tissue to forces that help it grow stronger, guided by pain to prevent reinjury.
How do you get back into exercise after an injury?
- Be patient and cautious.
- Begin with walking, slow and deep steps, add ankle and wrist weights.
- Pain is a protector. Doping pain is dangerous and addictive.
- Focus on Alignment, Balance and Coordination first, strength and speed will come naturally.
- Reduce inflammation with anti-inflammatory diet instead of medication.
- Stay hydrated, not thirsty, my friend.
Does a heating pad cause inflammation?
Heat is useful to increase circulation and warm up stiff or scarred soft tissues before stretching or exercise. But heat increases inflammation. Healing requires inflammation but the Goldilocks zone of inflammation happens automatically without “help” from icing or heating an injury. Sleeping on a heating pad almost ensures prolonged pain and suffering.
How do you speed up healing?
Injuries heal better, faster and resist infection if you eat properly. Your body requires more calories, protein, fluid, vitamins and minerals when recovering from injury. Food is the best source of these nutrients. But most people require supplements.
How do you rest after an injury?
1. Take a few days off work or school
2. And at least a week off workouts
3. Concentrate on one activity at a time
4. Take on only the easiest chores
5. Leave the driving to someone else
6. De-stress with belly breathing
Should you belly breathe all the time?
Using the diaphragm ensures the lungs fills with air as you breathe in, and your belly should bulge out. Your lungs will expand as a result of this. When you exhale, your stomach will come back in, and your lower rib cage will shrink. Emergency breathing, on the other hand pulls the ribcage up, straining neck muscles and amplifying the stress reaction in the brain.
So, belly breathing is not just for meditation but critically important when it counts most, in avoiding and recovering from injury. Driving in LA rush hour, running up a flight or several flights of stairs, when coworkers, pets, kids or spouse misbehave, when hearing some bad news... That’s a good time to practice belly breathing!
Can I have caffeine while recovering from injury?
Caffeine disrupts new collagen and blood vessel formation during injury repair.
Stimulants can also stress your brain out and interfere with the critical repair cycle in sleep. So, caffeine should be restricted or eliminated to promote healing. Coffee, tea, soda, and energy drinks should be avoided.
Does emotional trauma cause further damage?
Yes. Recent research has shown that both brain and bodily damage can be caused by emotional trauma, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Brain injury research scientists have discovered overlapping physical and emotional trauma effects on the brain.
Is walking okay with recent injury?
Going for walks, spending some time outside are good options. As long as the sports you engage in do not cause an increase in symptoms or put you at risk for further injury, they are probably fine.
Upper Cervical Misalignment versus Post-Concussion Syndrome
The mechanism of injury and symptoms of upper cervical misalignment and concussion share many similarities. Differentiating between the symptoms of a concussion and a cervical injury is difficult but important so that people can get the right diagnosis, treatment, and management.
Many post-concussion syndrome patients respond better when specific upper cervical chiropractic gets added to their rehabilitation. Upper cervical chiropractic treatment focuses on correcting vertebrae alignment, balance, and coordination to assist with stress reduction and brain function. Upper cervical chiropractors focus primarily on the upper spine and never twist or crack the neck.
What causes upper cervical spinal misalignment?
Prolonged poor posture, staring at screens and devices too frequently, sleeping in unusual postures, car accidents, falls, sports injuries, even the birth process can cause an upper cervical misalignment.
Why shouldn’t you crack your neck?
It's not a good idea to crack your since it loosens many joints, rather than just those that are restricted. There are self-treatment techniques that may help relieve painful neck and back tension without always needing to crack your neck.
The muscles around your joints and the joints themselves may be strained by cracking your neck too hard. Adding to the long-term stress that causes arthritis, instead of rehabilitating alignment, balance and coordination.
There are many styles of specific upper cervical chiropractic and none of them ever twist and crack the neck. Instead, upper cervical chiropractors use precise pressure on one joint at a time and carefully measure the results.
Can upper cervical misalignment affect brain function?
People with neck arthritis, from untreated upper cervical misalignment, have changes in their brain that can be measured. These changes include white matter damage, gray matter volume reduction, and other changes in the cortex. These parts of the brain are responsible for processing the feedback from joints and muscles important to maintaining brain health.
Can upper cervical chiropractic help mild traumatic brain injury, post-concussion syndrome and arthritis?
Upper cervical chiropractic care can provide significant relief from post-concussion syndrome since it is one of the safest and most efficient therapeutic techniques available. And by gently restoring alignment, balance, and coordination without creating any new stress on more joints, brain injuries and arthritis have a better chance to heal. Restoring joint function in the upper cervical spine improves circulation in the brain and stimulates the healing response in both the joints and the nerves.
Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care
Upper Cervical Chiropractic is a type of chiropractic care that focuses mainly on the upper part of the spine also known as the cervicocranial junction. Upper cervical chiropractors believe that this area of the spine is critical to overall health and well-being. By keeping the head and neck in alignment, they can help improve overall health and relieve many seemingly unrelated pain and other symptoms.
Upper Cervical Chiropractic is a safe and effective way to treat many different conditions. It is gentle and does not involve any forceful manipulation of the spine. Upper cervical chiropractors use a variety of techniques to adjust the spine and restore proper alignment, balance, and coordination. Our patients often find lasting relief without drugs, surgery, needles, twisting or cracking, even patients who already tried “everything”.
Upper Cervical Chiropractors
While all chiropractors have more formal education than regular medical doctors... Certified Upper Cervical Chiropractors spend several more years in post graduate education certification studies. This advanced training allows Certified Upper Cervical Chiropractors to provide amazing results without ever prescribing a drug, performing a surgery, inserting a needle or cracking a neck.
Upper Cervical Chiropractic Experience
I was testing for the most prestigious medical school on the planet in tenth grade. Not too much stress there. But that stress was compounded by several chronic health issues. Then I woke up one morning and could not turn my head.
Like so many of my current patients, I couldn’t remember any recent injury that could cause this neck locking spasm. Even though I did take a few trips to the ER in the past, that was years before and after a few weeks of pain pills, muscle relaxers and physical therapy, my neck felt fine.
Misdiagnosed
While grateful at the time, for the relief, no doctor that treated any of my countless childhood injuries, ever measured anything more than height, weight, blood pressure, temperature with an occasional blood test. Just more and more meds that literally made me sick, and some token physical therapy. On a couple of ER visits I got x-rays, but unless something was broken or dislocated, they said it was just a muscle spasm.
But each new sprain and strain became another weakened link, just waiting to flare up when stressed. Because when any joint sprains, the ligaments that give feedback to the muscles stabilizing that joint, get damaged. So even with mild sprains and strains, if the joint does not receive proper alignment, balance, and coordination rehabilitation, that joint becomes permanently unstable and begins to degenerate at an accelerated pace.
And unstable upper cervical joints constantly trigger the stress reaction in the brain that disrupts healing and, over time, causes measurable brain damage.
Neck Arthritis
Arthritis can be caused by many things but when one joint appears, on x-ray, 20 years older than the joint right next to it, that means the joint was injured and never properly rehabilitated. Even if that area stopped hurting within days or weeks of injury.
One of my early mentors had a formula for determining the age of any spinal injury on x-ray. People would come from around the world and stay for days or weeks to get daily treatments. Because he could get most people better, no matter what didn’t work for them prior to that.
And he did that by finding unresolved spinal sprains, then restoring alignment, balance, and coordination using his hands and precision tools that he invented. But he never twisted or cracked anyone’s spine.
Most of his patients were referred by their chiropractors who cared more about their patients than their egos or incomes. That was far, far away, a long time ago.
Is Upper Cervical Chiropractic Functional Medicine
When I woke up one morning, in tenth grade, and couldn’t turn my head, that was the one thing that my medical family cautiously considered a chiropractic issue. And I got lucky because the chiropractor that advanced training, no twisting or cracking. Most people prefer the more gentle and precise chiropractic much better if they ever get a chance to compare the two. But at the time, all I cared about was getting rid of the spasm in my neck.
I started feeling better and faster than I did in the past with medication. But this doctor predicted I would feel better within a few treatments and that it would take longer to rehabilitate the previous neck injuries. And I trusted him enough to see if that really meant anything to me.
Long story short, within the first year of treatment, for the first time in my life, I was pain and medication free. I became more active and had fewer injuries because my flexibility, balance and coordination improved dramatically. But I also felt more at ease than ever. My temper improved and I wasn't as easily irritated as before.
Unlike any other doctor, the chiropractor examined and measured my postural Alignment, Balance, and Coordination. And by treating that, instead of just managing pain, all my pre-existing sprains and strains started to heal properly. At least for me, taking the physical stress off my head, neck, and shoulders also solved half a dozen other chronic medical conditions.
Chemical Dependency
None of the surgeries or medications, none of the physical or psychological therapy ever gave me the lasting relief that I found with someone my medical family didn’t even consider a real doctor.
But it took me a whole year to detox from years of daily medication. Some of the damage, from those medications, may never completely heal. But now I work and play as hard as I want to every day, mostly pain free and haven’t even taken an aspirin in almost 40 years.
Most Doctors Agree
Recently the American College of Physicians, a distinguished group of over one hundred thousand medical doctors and healthcare providers, published formal recommendations to avoid pain management and surgery whenever possible. Instead, they suggest non-invasive therapies if the patient responds to those treatments.
And the world-famous Cleveland Clinic released an extensive two-year study tracking thousands of patients who got better Quality of Life results with functional medicine than just conventional medical care alone.
Most doctors know that appropriate diet and exercise is the best long-term medicine for any condition. But they’re expected to write a prescription in a few minutes. Even though any search engine could do that, and much more in less than a second. But neither of those options are good medicine.
How I Got Rid of My Chronic Pain
After I was properly examined and treated for Alignment, Balance, and Coordination. With specific, no twist or crack, chiropractic to reduce the physical stress, throwing my posture out of balance and coordination... My neck started moving and improving better than previous injuries treated by bracing, PT, and medication. My lifelong headaches, shoulder, and back tension went away too. And once I saw how out of balance I was, I could understand how that postural misalignment was a constant strain on everything else. So now, if I stick to my daily stretches and anti-inflammatory diet, I have little if any pain or tension anywhere.
Not Intended As Medical Advice
Even with several new injuries that forced me to find more amazing drug free, non-invasive therapies... I now choose to save time and money by proactively staying healthy, so I don’t miss out on irreplaceable experiences with friends and family. Like I used to when I relied on emergency medical care and constant medications to manage my symptoms.
Results vary, and we never share patient information. But you can search Dr. Thomas Polucki and read the reviews on Google, Healthgrades, and WebMD to see what some of our patients say about their experience working with us.
Consultation
Talk to the doctor one-on-one about your challenges. Set realistic goals with time frames and agreed upon outcome assessments.
And if, in agreement, we move forward to the functional exam and then coauthor a step-by-step plan to achieve your recovery with expert guidance.
If we cannot find agreement, we refund the reservation fee and proceed no further. Who else does that?
The outstanding success rate of our patients depends on working exclusively with people who trust and commit to their recommendations.
Nobody ever said to a heart surgeon “I’ll let you cut me open, split my ribcage and then decide if I want you to do anything more.”
Quantified Functional Exam
Our quantified functional exam costs thousands of dollars in specialists’ practices. More than just a few vitals and asking where it hurts, I touch my patients. Not just where it hurts but also feel the tension in the head, neck, and shoulder joints that blocks the healing response from the brain. I also measure three-dimensional body posture, dynamic balance, and system coordination. To help refine treatment recommendations.
Bonus
Treatment Sampler
Our streamlined approach towards assisted stretch, medical massage, and no twist or crack chiropractic adjustment might take hours, in three different offices, and cost hundreds of dollars anywhere else. But now you can get all the relieving, relaxing and restoring benefits from all three all in one stop, and in less than 10 minutes.
Anti-inflammatory Diet Program
Quick, Easy and Delicious... These online recipes reduce the most common source of inflammation. Helping to avoid indigestion, joint, muscle and nerve pain, fatigue, brain fog, and mood swings without medication. Giving your sprains and strains a chance to heal. Feel lighter, move easier, think clearer in just days of following these simple, delicious, and satisfying anti-inflammatory recipes.
Stretch and Move
In just a few minutes a day, you can reduce headaches and shoulder tension, improve flexibility and stability. Regardless of your work or play, these online stretching tips help you reduce tension and stress every day. We demonstrate, step by step through each movement, so in just a few minutes a day, anywhere, anytime you can stretch your healthcare dollar further.
What You Get
Normally, these services would bill at $671 and that’s a value because comparable services would cost several times that anywhere else. Still be worth every penny to wake up feeling great, thinking clearly, full of energy, moving through your day free of pain and drug side effects that get in the way of your life. And maybe even reduce the risk of surgery from ongoing degeneration that is never addressed even with the best pain management.
Instead, you’ll have a simple plan to get better and stay better. And if you read this far, you know that you want and need something different than what you have been doing, to get what you really want. And for a limited time, you get it all for the regular checkup fee of just $79 to save your spot.
Guarantee
No doctor can guarantee results. And I don’t. But if I’m not confident I can help you, during the consultation, we don’t go any further and refund your $79 reservation fee.
You may reschedule an appointment with 24-hour’s notice but due to high demand, cancellations within 24 hours or no-show appointments forfeit the reservation fee. So only request an appointment if you can make it a priority. Fair enough?
Internet, insurance, and government restrictions change with little and no notice. We may be forced to remove this post, its contents and offers without notice. So, if you are ready, NOW is a good time to request your appointment. Haven’t you already suffered enough?
REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT
What’s Next
When you enter your contact information (never shared, federally protected) in the secure Request Appointment form and click the submit button, our friendly scheduler will contact you as soon as possible. Confirming your appointment with a $79 reservation fee that holds your appointment and may be applied to the services listed above in this limited time special offer.
So, submit the form, and then receive the HIPAA compliant request, on a secure link, for your relevant information to make your first visit quick and easy. Once that information is uploaded, your appointment is confirmed. And we’ll look forward to seeing you at your scheduled appointment.
Limited Time Offer
To get your guaranteed consult, and if we can accept your case, your functional examination. Plus, if you Request Appointment Now, you also get the assisted stretch, medical massage, no twist or crack chiropractic specific adjustment treatment package. And the online pain-relieving diet and stretch classes. A total value of $671 for just the $79 reservation fee. Plus, if we discover, during the consultation that we can’t accept your case, you get your $79 reservation fee refunded, but keep the online diet and stretch program. A $98 value just for letting us see if we can help you.
But we may be forced to remove this offer at any time. So, Request Appointment Now!
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