Chiropractic Cures for Neck-Tongue Syndrome
By Chris Brown
Do you ever wake up with a pain in your neck that just won't go away? If it comes accompanied by headaches, sudden neck twitches, or facial pain and tingling, you may have more than a muscle tweak. Neck-tongue syndrome is a spinal subluxation condition that causes a range of pain and cranial dysfunctions. An exploration into this little known syndrome may provide insight into chiropractic's abilities to treat, and even cure, subluxation-based conditions.
The Pains of Neck-Tongue Syndrome
Neck-tongue syndrome (NTS) is characterized by stabbing upper neck pain, rear-head headaches, spontaneous neck turning, psoriasis, and tingling/numbness in the face or tongue. Although NTS is a relatively rare diagnosis, it is thought to be much more common in practicality. However, misdiagnosis or symptomatic treatment with pain relievers and muscle relaxants mask the ultimate symptom source. NTS often arises suddenly with sometimes no known cause, which complicates diagnosis. The most likely cause of NTS is a subluxation or impaction of the C1 or C2 vertebrae in the neck. Since the main problem is a spinal column subluxation, it lends itself to chiropractic treatment.
Spinal Manipulation's Effects on Neck-Tongue Syndrome: A Case Study
Chiropractic treatment of NTS was tested in a case study of a 47-year-old man who had experienced NTS symptoms for three months. His symptoms included facial pain and tingling, head pain, and spontaneous neck movements. After 12 chiropractic therapy sessions, the patient's facial pain had reduced and become more localized. In addition, his headache pain ratings were down to 3 out of 10 from 6 out of 10 pre-treatment. Following 24 sessions, his headaches disappeared altogether, and his neck's range of motion had dramatically increased. There was only minor face pain and reduced spontaneous neck movements. Even more impressive, in a three-month post-treatment follow-up, his headaches and sudden neck movements had completely disappeared with no other symptoms re-emerging. This points to chiropractic solving the root cause of NTS as symptoms continued to reduce as time progressed.
If you are having sporadic movements in your neck or rear-head headaches, treatment at The Joint Chiropractic may help resolve your symptoms for good. The Joint has extended night and weekend hours and is affordable without the hassle of insurance. All sessions are walk-in, so feel free to stop by whenever you have a moment to treat yourself with a pain-relieving adjustment.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Nashville, Tenn.