Expert: Dr. Victor Dolan, DC, DACBSP - 3/28/2009

Question
I woke up with a neck tightness/crick about a month ago. It then progressed to fullness and swelling around my right sternocleidomastoid and now occassional fullness/tightness on my left side. I have decreased ROM to right but nothing that causes limitations. Could this be a cervical injury or soft tissue injury? Could chiropractic care help?  No fevers, swollen neck or throat, but I do feel the fullness all around my throat and right under my ears. really no pain though. just the fullness.

Answer
Hello Belinda,

Sorry to hear of your complaint/ condition.

"I woke up with a neck tightness/crick about a month ago. It then progressed ....",  progressive problem?- You should be evaluated in person, hands on by a local licensed health professional.  Of course, I recommend a Doctor of Chiropractic.  Your local DC can take a history, examine you, perhaps start appropriate care, or refer you to some colleague health professional for care.

" I have decreased ROM ....",  your decreased ROM is showing you that you have a biomechanical problem in the neck, perhaps due to soft tissue swelling, perhaps due to spinal kinetic changes.  See a local DC.

"Could this be a cervical injury or soft tissue injury?", yes, absolutely.


"Could chiropractic care help?",  possibly, only an in-person evaluation could tell the tale.


"No fevers, swollen neck or throat, but I do feel the fullness all around my throat and right under my ears.",  this is all good, but an evaluation by a local Doctor is needed.  Your complaints are probably musculo-skeletal, but you need an examination, perhaps Xrays, to be more sure.

My Staten Island Neck Patients receive this information handout on their first visit:



“Stiff   Neck”  

( Also Known As-  wryneck, torticollis, neck muscle spasm )
-can be caused by big bad things: cancers, tumors, fractures, even heart attacks- only history/ examination/ evaluation by an appropriate health professional can differentiate these problems/ conditions.   

USUALLY  these  complaints  are  neuro-musculo-skeletal.  

For  example: sometimes  we  can  wake  up  with  a  ‘stiff  neck’,  or  a  muscle spasm.... sometimes a slip, trip, fall, heavy lift, or even a motor vehicle accident can cause a ‘stiff neck’.   Sometimes  we  just  slept  wrong !   Often-  the true    c a u s e   of  the neck stiffness and pain;  the underlying  c a u s e    of the complaint  - is a misalignment,  a ‘kink’  in  the  neck -  more  properly  termed  a   Vertebral  Subluxation.  Treat the   c a u s e,  not just  the  symptoms - for  true  improvement.

         Vertebral   Subluxation   Complex    (a.k.a.  ‘subluxation’)
The  vertebral  subluxation  complex  is  the  underlying  cause  of  many  healthcare  problems.   A subluxation  interferes with the proper functioning of the nervous system   (the master system which controls and coordinates all function within the body)   and may cause various other conditions, symptoms  and  problems.


This is a serious condition identified by its five parts:
                                     Spinal Kinesiopathology:
         This is fancy way of saying the bones of the spine have lost their normal motion and position. It restricts your ability to turn and bend. It sets in motion  the other four components.
                                     Neuropathophysiology:
         Improper spinal function can choke, stretch, or irritate delicate nerve tissue. The resulting nerve system dysfunction can cause symptoms  elsewhere in the body.
                                      Myopathology:
          Muscles supporting the spine can weaken, atrophy, or become tight and go into spasm. The resulting scar tissue changes muscle tone, requiring  repeated spinal adjustments.
                                      Histopathology:
         A rise in temperature from an increase in blood and lymph supplies result in swelling and inflammation. Discs can bulge, herniate, tear, or degenerate.  Other soft tissues may suffer permanent damage.
                                      Pathophysiology:
         Bone spurs and other abnormal bony growths attempt to fuse malfunctioning spinal joints. This spinal decay, scar tissue, and long-term nerve dysfunction can cause other systems of the body to malfunction.


The Vertebral Subluxation Complex describes what happens when spinal bones lose their normal movement patterns and position.
         Automobile accidents, improper lifting, improper posture, alcohol, emotional stress, chemical imbalances, and long periods of sitting can cause the Vertebral Subluxation Complex.
          Vertebral  Subluxation   cannot    be corrected through chemicals (medicine), stretching, yoga, vitamins or physical therapy alone.  Subluxation- a neuro/skeletal/muscular- mechanical- problem  requires   a mechanical correction-  -  -    a manipulation,     best performed with the chiropractic adjustment.  For good health- Treat the   Cause,  not just the Symptoms.

Dr. Victor E. Dolan,   Doctor of Chiropractic;   Diplomat, American Chiropractic Board of Sport Physicians;  Diplomat, American Academy of Pain Management;  Certified Clinical Nutritionist (IAACN); FIRST  Chief of Chiropractic  in  a  Hospital  in  New York State (DHSI);  As  Seen  in  PREVENTION  Magazine



I hope this information helps.

You are concerned enough to write for info,  you should be concerned enough to go for a hands-on, in-person examination.

If you need further, please do not hesitate to re-contact me here at
AllExperts.com
http://www.allexperts.com/ep/965-100794/Chiropractors/Victor-Dolan-DC-DACBSP.htm


I wish you Good Luck and Good Health,

Dr. Victor Dolan, DC
Email newsletter: http://drvictordolan.chiroweb.com