Spine Out of Alignment Symptoms Can Indicate Serious Issues

Spine Out of Alignment Symptoms

Spinal cord compression can cause spine out of alignment symptoms. Symptoms include pain, stiffness, sciatica, numbness, cramping, weakness, sensation loss, hand coordination difficulty, and foot drop. Further, pressure on the lumbar region nerves can cause cauda equina syndrome. Specifically, the severe symptoms of cauda equina syndrome are loss of bowel or bladder control, severe numbness, severe pain, and severe weakness. Patients who experience the severe latter symptoms should seek medical attention immediately. Spine out of alignment symptoms can range from mild to extremely dangerous, and patients should be mindful of their physical state. Scoliosis, spinal injury, spinal tumor, bone diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, and infection can all cause varying degrees of spine out of alignment symptoms. Specifically, traumatic injuries can be especially dangerous when minor symptoms are ignored. Furthermore, some untreated conditions worsen over time.¹

How to Tell if Spine is Out of Alignment

Fortunately, there are many indicators that the spine is out of alignment. Headaches, back pain, and joint pain are the most common symptoms, and even migraines can be caused by spinal misalignment. Second, uneven wear in the heels of shoes can be indicative of misaligned spine and uneven hips. Third, patients who frequently crack their joints may need professional spinal manipulation. Cracking the joints can temporarily relieve the feeling of stiffness, but many patients will need further treatment for long-term relief. Fourth, a misaligned spine can make turning the head and hips difficult and uncomfortable. Fifth, spinal misalignment can compromise the nervous system and cause patients to become sick more often. Sixth, pinched nerves from a misaligned spine can cause feelings of numbness and tingling in the extremities. Seventh, despite getting enough sleep, patients can be very tired.²

Spine Out of Alignment in Neck

There are many signs that the cervical spine is out of alignment. For example, spine misalignment can cause the head to tilt. Next, they could feel pain, tension, or stiffness in their neck. Misalignment can make it difficult to comfortably turn the head, and some patients may not be able to turn their head at all. Neck misalignment can also cause headaches. Locking the head into a stressed position for a long period of time can cause misalignment. Accidents or injuries can also damage the balance of the neck. Upper spine out of alignment symptoms are similar to the symptoms that occur when other areas of the spine are misaligned, and patients should seek treatment if symptoms persist or worsen. Unfortunately, neck damage can be extremely severe and dangerous if it is left untreated.³

Spine Out of Alignment Lower Back Pain

Lower back spine out of alignment symptoms include uneven hips, uneven leg length, body leaning, and bodily discomfort. The pain could be focused on one side of the body and not the other, and it can be difficult to do normal activities. Lower back injuries and pain are very common, but they can still be severe. Unfortunately, the damage can be progressive and degenerative. However, it could also be a temporary discomfort that is easily resolved with natural treatment options. The aforementioned severe symptoms, including weakness and numbness, should be addressed as soon as possible if they are present. Other more serious symptoms include shortness of breath, indigestion, circulatory problems, reproductive problems, and hormone imbalances. Fortunately, patients and healthcare providers can learn a lot about how to treat the issues based on the spine out of alignment symptoms.⁴

Chiropractic Care for Misaligned Spine

Chiropractors treat spine out of alignment symptoms. They can safely perform spinal manipulations, and many patients do not have to use pain relief medications after chiropractic care. Chiropractic adjustments manipulate misaligned spines back into alignment, and they can relieve pain. Resultingly, chiropractors can treat headaches, sciatica, physical trauma, scoliosis, pain, sports injuries, bursitis, tendonitis, fibromyalgia, and spondylosis. Chiropractic care can cause mild soreness or aching, but it should not cause any significant discomfort. As a result, patients who experience any pain or significant discomfort should immediately inform the chiropractor. In addition to traditional spinal manipulation, chiropractors also use toggle drop, lumbar roll, release work, transcutaneous electrical stimulation, cold and heat treatment, table adjustments, and instrument adjustments to treat patients. Less commonly, some chiropractors are also certified to perform spinal manipulations on patients who are under anesthesia.⁵

Chiropractic for Neck Misalignment

Similarly, chiropractors use a wide variety of tools and techniques to treat neck misalignment. Of course, chiropractors are more gentle when performing neck manipulation because the neck houses many important nerves and blood vessels. Patients should always seek treatment from a certified, trained chiropractor. Spinal manipulation can treat neck pain and other upper spine out of alignment symptoms. Furthermore, chiropractors can also treat patients about neck stretches to reduce pain and stiffness at home. Patients should not try to crack their own necks because they can cause the neck to become hypermobile and susceptible to injury. They should exercise caution when performing any neck stretches, and neck movements should be gentle and smooth. Studies are still being performed to learn about the efficacy of chiropractic treatment for neck misalignment, and current evidence suggests that spinal manipulation can produce relief.⁶

Lower Back Pain and Chiropractic Care

Lower back pain is extremely common, and chiropractic care can be used to relieve it. In addition to headaches and stiffness, low back pain is one of the biggest reasons why patients seek chiropractic care. Patients who suffer from non-specific chronic low back pain can be successfully treated by chiropractors. Intensive manipulative therapy followed by long-term maintenance spinal manipulation has been shown to enhance the positive outcome. Spinal manipulation employs high-velocity, short thrusts to return vertebrae to their normal positions. Mobilization is low-velocity chiropractic manipulation, and it stretches muscles and joints to increase range of motion. Lumbar vertebrae often fall out of alignment, and regular chiropractic care can keep them in line and flexible. Chiropractors often work with other alternative care practitioners, such as massage therapists, to provide patients safe and natural treatment options.⁷