Neck Pain Treatment in Phoenix, AZ

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression

The DRX 9000 is a medical technology specifically designed to treat patients with cervical disc displacement, spinal disc degeneration, and posterior facet syndrome. It is very specific and can be applied to treat a particular disc level, from the upper C2 to the lower C7 spinal disc.

Spinal decompression provides a gentle, sustained stretch on the neck. This stretch alleviates pressure on the disc and nerves and creates negative pressure within the disc, restoring it to its normal position between two vertebrae.

The DRX 9000 is an FDA-cleared medical device for treating spinal disc pain. It is safe, has no side effects other than soreness, assists in reabsorbing and repositioning cervical disc displacement, and reduces and/or eliminates cervical pain.

The DRX 9000 was introduced nearly 30 years ago. Gonstead Physical Medicine has implemented this therapy for 20 years.

Postural Distortions

Anterior head carriage syndrome, also known as forward head posture or “tech neck,” is a postural distortion in patients who perform repeated movements and activities that cause the head to tilt forward. This condition has become increasingly prevalent in our modern, technology-focused world.

“Tech neck” refers to postural distortions caused by looking down at electronic devices or working at computers for too long. As technology has advanced, this problem has become more prominent. In fact, the average person now looks down at their phones for nearly four hours per day!

Your neck supports the full weight of your head, which, on average, weighs about 12 pounds. Lifestyle factors, such as poor posture and electronic device use (computers, cell phones, tablets, etc.), increase the amount of stress on the neck. Every inch forward that your neck is in front of your shoulders adds 10 pounds of stress to your neck. So, if your head weighs 12 pounds and is two inches in front of your shoulders, it feels like it weighs 32 pounds! This increased stress can lead to neck pain and even cause the neck joints to wear down over time.

“Tech neck” typically presents with forward head posture, inward rounding of the shoulders, reduced range of motion in the neck, neck pain, shoulder pain, and jaw pain.

Other postural distortions that affect the cervical spine are hypolordosis of the cervical spine and scoliosis.

Hypolordosis of the cervical spine is a postural deformity in which the patient loses their natural lordotic curve, or natural C-shaped curve, in the neck. Cervical Scoliosis is a postural deformity in which the patient develops an abnormal sideways curvature in the neck.

Subluxation

Many times, neck pain is due to a condition called subluxation. Subluxation occurs when a bone or section of the spine shifts out of its normal position, causing nerve pressure and irritation, which can cause symptoms such as neck pain. Subluxations also affect how well your spine can move. Not correcting them can cause degeneration of the joints and lead to degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis).

At Gonstead Physical Medicine, we perform specific adjustments to the spine, which remove pressure from the nerves and allow the joints to move more easily. Chiropractic care resolves subluxation, but it can take time, especially for a chronic problem. Correcting subluxation restores nerve function and relieves neck pain symptoms.

If the “root cause “of your problem is a subluxation in the cervical spine (your neck), you will continue to have symptoms until they are addressed. If you have neck pain, a chiropractic evaluation is recommended to determine the root cause of the problem.

Degenerative Joint Disease

Degenerative joint disease (DJD) is another term for osteoarthritis or spondylosis. It is a common condition in adults caused by the progressive wearing down of the joints in the cervical spine. The spinal disc starts degenerating, and the bones in the neck start rubbing on each other, causing inflammation, pain, and reduced range of motion.

Degenerative joint disease usually starts from a trauma such as a fall, car accident, whiplash injury, or repetitive stress to the neck from consistent computer and cell phone use.

Hypolordosis of the cervical spine occurs when a patient loses the natural lordotic curve (natural C-shaped curve) in the neck. The natural cervical curve dissipates stress from the spine and keeps the neck strong with a good range of motion. Another term for hypolordosis of the cervical spine is “military neck” because the cervical spine becomes very straight.

Straightening the cervical spine increases disc pressure and joint stress. The spinal disc starts to degenerate or desiccate (dehydrate). The spinal discs are considered the shock absorbers of the spine. Once the spinal disc reduces in size from excess pressure, it loses its ability to absorb stress. The degeneration of the spinal disc will lead to the narrowing of the joint spaces and, eventually, the rubbing of the spinal bones (a term called bone on bone).

When the spinal joints begin to degenerate, osteophytes (bone spurs) start to form. Osteophytes and disc degeneration can cause nerve irritation in the neck, resulting in neck pain and severely reducing the neck’s range of motion.

The narrowing of the joint space usually takes a long time to develop, sometimes even decades and can be the long-term result of poor posture and lack of motion. Our joints need to move to stay healthy. When we don’t move our joints enough or have poor posture, the joints gradually wear down.

Spinal Disc Displacement

At Gonstead Physical Medicine, we see many complex cases in which the root cause of neck pain is cervical disc displacement, such as a protruded, bulging, herniated, or extruded disc. When a patient has cervical disc displacement, their symptoms usually include severe or chronic neck pain. “Cervical radiculopathy” occurs when neck pain travels down the arm accompanied by numbness and tingling.

When a patient has cervical disc displacement (protruded bulging, herniated, or extruded disc), the spinal disc has been damaged and displaced in position and shape from normal. Cervical disc displacements are injuries, and we recommend getting treatment as soon as possible to avoid further damage to the spinal disc and spine.

The spine is a repeating sequence of vertebral bones separated by spinal discs. The discs provide support for the cervical joints and allow spinal motion. They are the “shock absorbers” of the spine. The discs act as a cushion between the bones that form the spine. The center of the disc contains a gel-like substance called a “nucleus pulposus,” surrounded by rings of strong cartilage fibers called the “annulus fibrosus.”

Protruded Disc – due to injury or degeneration, cracks develop in the disc’s annulus fibrosus. As cracking progresses, the disc’s annulus weakens, causing it to become displaced beyond its typical boundaries.

Bulging Disc – when the disc displacement exceeds 25% of the disc circumference.

Herniated Disc – when the spinal disc displacement starts to bulge into the area where the spinal cord and nerves are located.
Extruded disc – a more severe form of disc herniation where the annulus fibers tear and the gel-like nucleus leaks out.

Cervical Spinal Stenosis

Stenosis is the “narrowing of an opening.”

Neural Foraminal Stenosis occurs when the neural foramina (an opening between the spinal vertebrae) narrows.

Lateral Recess Stenosis occurs when the nerve is compressed before entering the neural foramina (in an area called the lateral recess). Neural foraminal and lateral recess stenosis creates pressure and inflammation on the spinal nerves exiting the spine.

Spinal Canal Stenosis occurs when the spinal canal (the tunnel the spinal cord travels through) narrows, compressing the spinal cord and irritating the nerves traveling through the canal.

Symptoms of spinal stenosis in the cervical spine include:

• Inflammation of the spinal cord and the nerves of the spine
• Neck pain
• Reduced range of motion in the neck
• Tingling and weakness in the hands

Disc displacement, degenerative joint disease, and osteophytes, known as bone spurs, are all causes of spinal stenosis.

Soft Tissue Inflammation

Spinal trauma from a car accident, fall, or sports injury can cause inflammation in the spine’s soft tissue (muscles, ligaments, and tendons). One of the most common injuries that result from car accidents is whiplash. When a vehicle comes to a quick stop during impact, the neck moves back and forth sharply, causing damage and inflammation to the soft tissue in the neck. Soft tissue inflammation results in neck pain and decreased range of motion. You must address soft tissue injuries as quickly as possible, as they can easily lead to chronic neck problems down the road. It is common for patients in our office to have neck pain for years, and sometimes even decades, after car accidents. Chiropractic treatment is an effective way to treat whiplash and restore normal function and movement in the neck.