Cervicogenic Headaches

If you frequently suffer from headaches, the problem may be in your neck. As experts in musculoskeletal care, we at Kosak Chiropractic are happy to assist people suffering from blockages in the cervical spine. But many people are unaware of how this may be able to relieve pain ranging from their lower jaw to the top of their head, which is why we wanted to explain what cervicogenic headaches are and how chiropractic can combat them.

Sensation in our faces comes from the trigeminal nerve. It emerges from the cervical spine, or neck region, and branches off to the eyes and forehead, maxilla, and mandible. If there is a compression in the cervical spine, pain may be referred to the trigeminal nerve and we would call it "cervicogenic." Compression could be due to swollen muscles, a herniated disc, or dislocated facet joints, among the more common reasons, and is often the result of whiplash. Pain may also radiate to a shoulder or arm, but will usually be limited to one side of the body.

Although whiplash is the most common cause of cervicogenic headaches, people who work with their heads down, such as hair stylists and craftsmen, and people who have bad posture while typing also risk straining their neck muscles. We’ll use manual examinations, range of motion tests, and imaging scans to determine whether a headache could be cervicogenic. If it is, we may employ chiropractic adjustments of the neck, which use gentle, controlled force to stretch the neck muscles and correct the position of the joints. We will also recommend therapeutic exercises that will strengthen the neck muscles to better support the spine and become less vulnerable to fraying.

Kosak Chiropractic is located at 1252 Travis Blvd., Suite G, Fairfield, CA, 94533. To schedule an appointment, visit Kosak Chiropractic online or call 707-426-1111.

Do You Have a Pinched Nerve?

Have you ever accidentally contorted your body in a way that resulted in a sharp pain that decreased mobility in your neck or arm? If so, you might have experienced a pinched nerve. Pinched nerves can occur anywhere along the spine, including the upper, mid, and lower back. They can even happen in any joint of your body. We at Kosak Chiropractic know all about the dreaded pinched nerve and how painful it can make doing the simplest tasks. Sometimes the nerve can move back into place naturally. However, if the pinched nerve is severe enough, you will need spinal adjustments to correct it.

Symptoms of a pinched nerve include:

- Lower back pain

- Numbness, tingling, or burning sensation in your arms, legs, fingers, or toes

- Pain radiating along your spine

- Severe headaches or migraines

- Pain that shoots down your arm or leg

- Neck pain

A pinched nerve can be caused by subluxation, disc degeneration, osteoarthritis, or disc herniation. These are silent afflictions in their beginning stages, which is why it’s important to see a chiropractor regularly. Your Fairfield, CA chiropractor will re-align your spine in an effort to correct your pinched nerve but also prevent one from happening again in the future. 

Do you have any questions or concerns? We are happy to help. Kosak Chiropractic is located on 1252 Travis Blvd., Suite G, in Fairfield, CA 94533. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit kosakchiropractic.com or call us at 707-426-1111.

 

Whiplash Symptoms and Treatment

Kosak Chiropractic is readily available to you when accidents happen unexpectedly, such as a whiplash injury due to a sporting mishap or auto accident. According to Mayo Clinic, “whiplash is a neck injury due to forceful, rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck, like the cracking of a whip.” The sooner you come in to see your Fairfield chiropractor, the sooner we can get you on the road to recovery!

Symptoms of whiplash include:

- Neck pain and stiffness

- Worsening of pain with neck movement

- Loss of range of motion in the neck

- Headaches, most often starting at the base of the skull

- Tenderness or pain in the shoulder, upper back or arms

- Tingling or numbness in the arms

- Fatigue

- Dizziness

- Blurred vision

- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)

- Sleep disturbances

- Irritability

- Difficulty concentrating

- Memory problems

- Depression

We offer a variety of services to help manage pain and treat whiplash damage, such as chiropractic adjustments, therapeutic exercises, electric stimulation, and therapeutic ultrasound. If you are showing signs of whiplash for several days to a couple weeks after an accident, X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs are required to diagnose how severe the damage is.

Kosak Chiropractic is located on 1252 Travis Blvd., Suite G, in Fairfield, CA 94533. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit kosakchiropractic.com or call us at 707-426-1111.