There is never a charge to speak with the doctor. If you live in Los Angeles, call (310) 663-9975 for a free emergency or non-emergency phone consultation.
Hi, Dr. Greg Malakoff here, sharing some life experience hoping that it will make your experience of life a little more hopeful and pleasant.
Should a pinched nerve in your neck concern you more than one in your low back? Why am I thinking of the little girl from the Adams family movie when she said, “Be afraid, be very very afraid.” O.K. lighten up, but it is of more concern to me for many reasons and I’m about to share them with you.
As any realtor has said, location, location, location. That means your spinal bones in your neck are smaller than the ones in your low back, which means less space for the nerves. However those nerves in your low back have to get to your brain and that means they have to pass through your neck. Those nerves that work your legs are on the outside of the spinal cord by the time they reach your neck and if you have arthritis in your neck, you may also have weakness in your legs. This is something that seems to be overlooked on a daily basis in the medical profession. I’m not sure why because I learned this from medical books.
The cervical spine also known as your neck is vital to your health for many reasons and not just because you may have a pinched nerve in it causing you a neck pain or a headache. The condition of the neck bone joints are vitally important. One reason is they control balance. The number one cause of death in someone over 60 is a fall and people are now interested in fall prevention and the best fall prevention is chiropractic because of our tremendous ability to affect those so called pinched nerves in your neck. Nerves don’t have to be literally pinched for them to not communicate properly. But why take my word for it. Below are three very powerful statements made by researchers.
What Other Have to Say About the Neck
“90% of the stimulation and nutrition to the brain is generated by the movement of the spine. This is analogous to a windmill generating electricity.” Dr. Roger Sperry, M.D. Winner of the Nobel Prize for Brain Research.
“Loss of the Cervical Curve(i.e. loss of normal spinal posture), stretches the spinal cord 5-7 centimeters, and causes disease.” Dr. A. Breig, Neuro-surgeon, Winner of the Nobel Prize
“Forward head posture leads to long term muscle strain, disc herniations, arthritis, and pinched nerves.” Mayo Clinic, November 3, 2000.
Above are all very good scientific reasons why you should be going to a chiropractor before you break down. The Mayo Clinic said bad neck posture, the things that chiropractors fix leads to arthritis if not attended to. People ask me all the time how they got all that arthritis in their neck. What is more important to know is arthritis means you can’t un boil a hardboiled egg. Just one of thousands of reasons to be going to a chiropractor before you start noticing you have a problem. By the time you notice it, you have a much bigger problem than you thought it was going to be.
This is why I have been going to a chiropractor since I was two years old. I most definitely don’t appreciate excruciating neck or back pain and take a lot of steps to avoid it. But if you do have an episode of neck pain that feels like a pinched nerve, chiropractic is the superior and safest treatment for it. If you have a true badly herniated cervical disc that is pinching the nerve, you would require a visit to the neurosurgeon. Said a different way, in 34 years of practice, I’ve sent 3 patients for neck surgery. It happens, but simple neck pains even though they feel severe are incredibly more common occurrences. If I think you are a surgical candidate, I will most assuredly tell you.
This is Dr. Greg Malakoff, D.C. D.A.C.N.B.
I often answer my phone so that you don’t have to leave a message. (310) 663-9975
