Chiropractic Mobilization For Cervical Joints With Radiculopathy

Individuals experiencing radiculopathy in and around the neck notice it immediately often driving them to the medicine cabinet. This condition presents with:

• Acute pain
• Numbness
• Muscle spasms

However, medication will only help relieve the pain temporarily but it won’t alleviate what is causing the radiculopathy. This is because pain medication/s can exacerbate the condition by blocking the pain signals with the root nerve issue never being resolved. Chiropractic is a complete solution that specifically mobilizes the cervical joints where nerve impingement is happening. The objective is to help individuals understand the underlying cause of the acute pain induced by radiculopathy and provide long-term pain relief through cervical joint mobilization.

Radiculopathy Pain

To determine what cervical nerve bundles are being affected by a subluxation or vertebral compression a chiropractor needs to isolate the pain. This is accomplished through a description of symptoms, radiological imaging to provide visual confirmation, and an examination of the affected area. Isolating the pain allows the chiropractor to determine the extent of misalignment and how much the nerve is being compressed. This will help in the development of a customized treatment plan. A chiropractor will be able to see and feel the degree of pressure being placed on the nerve or bundle of nerves.

Mobilizing The Cervical Joints

Chiropractors approach this directly based on the individual and the severity of the case. The most common joint mobilizations include:

• Low-impact adjusting will shift the misaligned vertebrae back into place
• Traction to decompress cervical vertebrae
• Adjustments to the opposite non-painful area will help counterbalance stress in the spine

Radiculopathy improvement consists of:

• The cervical spine is stabilized through bracing and posture supports
• Isometric exercises will recondition the neck, shoulders, and upper back
• Range of motion exercises will prevent any subtle compression/s
• Corrective restoration of the cervical spine’s curve

The spine returns to normal during cervical joint mobilization and alleviates radiculopathy immediately and long term.

Proper chiropractic care will correct the affected nerve bundle, and stabilize the cervical spine to prevent/resist:

• Compression
• Translation
• Subluxation
• Other shifts that can occur

Chiropractic Mobilization Long Term Relief

A pinched nerve should not be treated with over-the-counter medications for long-term health. Corrective chiropractic mobilization is a recommended course of action for alleviating this and other musculoskeletal conditions. Chiropractic understands the nature and severity of radiculopathy as well as developing the proper customized treatment plan that will bring optimal results.

Body Composition

DASH Diet Example

Breakfast

• 3/4 cup bran flakes cereal with 1 banana and 1 cup low-fat milk
• 1 slice whole-wheat bread with 1 tsp. unsalted butter
• 1 orange
• 1 cup coffee

Lunch

• Sandwich 2 slices of whole-wheat bread
• 3 oz. grilled thin chicken breast
• 2 slices low-fat cheese
• 1 tbsp. mustard

Salad

• 1/2 cup chopped/diced cucumbers
• 1/2 cup chopped/diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
• 1 teaspoon low-calorie non-cream dressing
• 1/2 cup fruit cocktail with no sugar

Snack

• 1/3 cup unsalted almonds

Dinner

• 3 oz. lean beef with 2 tbsp. fat-free, low sodium gravy
• 1 cup broccoli sauteed with 1/2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 small baked potato topped with:
• 1 tbsp. fat-free sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp. shredded, reduced-fat, natural low-sodium cheddar cheese
• 1 tbsp. chopped scallions
• 1 small apple

Dessert

• 1/2 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt topped with:
• 1/2 cup berries
• Cocoa powder light dusting

Disclaimer

The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, licensed physician, and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified health care professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from a wide array of disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the musculoskeletal system’s injuries or disorders. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and support, directly or indirectly, our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request. We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, CTG*
email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com
phone: 915-850-0900
Licensed in Texas & New Mexico

References

BMJ. 2017 Advances in the diagnosis and management of neck pain. Available at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28807894/

Mayo Clin Proc. 2015. Epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of neck pain. Available at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25659245/

Open Orthop J. 2016. A Qualitative Description of Chronic Neck Pain has Implications for Outcome Assessment and Classification. Available at: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5301418/

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015. Complementary and Alternative Medicine for the Management of Cervical Radiculopathy: An Overview of Systematic Reviews. Available at: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4541004/