Neck Specialist: Diagnosis and Treatment

       A neck specialist is someone with detailed knowledge on the anatomical structures of the cervical spine and surrounding tissues and displays extensive skills in the treatment of complaints such as: whiplash, sprain/strains, facet syndrome, disc herniation, facet dislocation, fracture, and many more.  More often then not if the case is not an emergency room situation, treatment may be sought by the forefront of neck specialists, a chiropractor.  A chiropractor is trained extensively in the anatomical and physiological relationship of the spine and the nervous system as a whole and the impact of subluxation on the body.  A vertebral subluxation is the improper motion or position of the moving bones of the spine that compress and irritate the surrounding nerves.  Ultimately, subluxations cause disruption to the corresponding body organs and tissues; causing disease and dysfunction.  A chiropractor will first take a detailed case history to find out the mechanism of injury.  Then, he or she will perform a comprehensive physical exam to determine the diagnosis, any further testing such as x-rays or special imaging, and the course of treatment needed.  The chiropractor’s job is to remove subluxations, restoring proper nerve function to allow the body to express its own innate intelligence.  Chiropractors use many different techniques to correct the misaligned vertebra which are performed in the paraphysiological space.  They may incorporate various physical therapy modalities to decrease muscle tonicity, increase range of motion and tissue healing; making the adjustment easier for the chiropractor to deliver and more effective for the patient.  The neck specialist will re-evaluate the patient after a set number of visits determined by the patient’s condition and level of severity.  At this time, continued care will be administered at the discretion of the specialist; or the patient will be released from care or referred out of the office to a different specialist.  Individuals no longer have to suffer in pain and wait for the long days to pass; there is help to be sought in the form of an experienced neck specialist- a Chiropractor.