Neck, Shoulder, Spine & Back Pain
TREATMENTS
Chronic headaches and neck pain are common problems and most often are due to muscle tension, typically relieved with rest, local heat and massage. The pain may be due to certain lifestyles and occupations with repetitive head turning or flexing up or down of the neck causing strain like hairdressers, construction workers, etc. The cervical spine is a common area of pain due to the highly mobile nature of the cervical region and susceptibility to injury and postural abnormalities. Think about how your neck, shoulders, and head feel after sitting for hours working on a computer or similar task. Because your neck is so free to move it also contributes to degeneration of the spine. This can start with mild arthritis and stiffness but also lead to disc degeneration and disc protrusions or herniations. The good news is that most of these problems are related to underlying instability and can be addressed with regenerative medicine.
Specific common causes of headache and neck pain include:
Chronic headaches and neck pain are common problems and most often are due to muscle tension, typically relieved with rest, local heat and massage. The pain may be due to certain lifestyles and occupations with repetitive head turning or flexing up or down of the neck causing strain like hairdressers, construction workers, etc. The cervical spine is a common area of pain due to the highly mobile nature of the cervical region and susceptibility to injury and postural abnormalities. Think about how your neck, shoulders, and head feel after sitting for hours working on a computer or similar task. Because your neck is so free to move it also contributes to degeneration of the spine. This can start with mild arthritis and stiffness but also lead to disc degeneration and disc protrusions or herniations. The good news is that most of these problems are related to underlying instability and can be addressed with regenerative medicine.
Specific common causes of headache and neck pain include:
Cervicogenic Headache
It is the most common source of headache and neck pain and stiffness in heavy weight lifting athletes. While the pain source is located in the cervical spine, it can be difficult to diagnose because pain is not always felt in the neck. Symptoms can also mimic other forms of headaches, such as migraine and tension-type headache.
Cervicocranial Syndrome & Barré-Lieou Syndrome
With Cervicocranial Syndrome, weak or injured ligaments in the neck cause the cervical vertebrae to become misaligned or unstable. That in turn puts pressure on the nerve cells that are located just in front of the neck bones. The result is the wide-ranging symptoms associated with the condition. Sometimes Cervicocranial Syndrome arises from a sudden injury to the neck, such as may happen in a car accident or skiing accident. In other cases, it develops over time as a result of spending a lot of time hunched over work or developing arthritis. Sometimes it can be congenital, meaning you were born with the condition.
Whiplash Injury
Herniated, Bulging & Degenerative Disc Disease (Arthritis)
When a disc moves from its normal space between vertebrae, it puts pressure on the ligaments and nerves that surround it. This causes pain from pressure on the nerves as well as muscle spasms. The pain leads to weakness, spinal instability and more pain.
THE KRASNICK SOLUTION
How can Dr. Krasnick help you recover and restore naturally to health without drugs or surgery?
EXAM & DIAGNOSIS
Before a patient can be treated for headache and neck pain, a correct diagnosis must be made.
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First, Dr. Krasnick will obtain a detailed history and perform a thorough physical examination. Frequently a musculoskeletal ultrasound will be done to understand where your headache or neck pain is coming from. If you have any imaging studies such as X-rays, MRI or CT Scans, please bring the actual images to the appointment for Dr. Krasnick to review himself.
TREATMENT PROGRAM
Once a diagnosis is made, a comprehensive treatment program will be determined.
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This may include regenerative medical treatments such as: Prolotherapy, Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), Stem Cell Therapy, Prolozone™, Neural Prolotherapy (Lyftogt Technique®) and Hydrodissection. None of these treatments contain any drugs, steroids, narcotics or NSAIDs, are performed in the office and do not require surgery. Dr. Krasnick performs injections under ultrasound guidance, so he is highly accurate in injecting the treatment to the exact location needed. These treatments allow the body’s own natural healing powers to recover and restore to health.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
To optimize treatment, we focus on the whole patient and not just the headache or neck pain.
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This means Dr. Krasnick will investigate, discuss and make recommendations about your health and wellness. Important factors in order to optimize outcomes include cellular health. This entails optimizing your nutrition and diet to ensure you are getting the proper macro and micronutrients. Simple changes in diet and addition of vitamins and supplements can go a long way to improving outcomes. Dr. Krasnick will also focus on functional movement, which includes strength and flexibility. We know the body, especially, the musculoskeletal system acts as a whole and therefore pre- and post-treatment exercise or physical therapy will be recommended. Of course treatment and attention to the injured structure (joint or surrounding ligaments and tendons) will be discussed in detail, with specific post-procedure protocols when needed.
A procedure is not always needed and when possible trying to solve the problem with other noninvasive and holistic approaches will be sought.
None of the regenerative treatments contain any drugs, steroids, narcotics or NSAIDs, are performed in the office and do not require surgery. Dr. Krasnick performs injections under ultrasound guidance, so he is highly accurate in injecting the treatment to the exact location needed. These treatments allow the body’s own natural healing powers to recover and restore to health.
If you are looking for a non-surgical, drug-free, natural, alternative pain treatment for your headaches or neck pain, then contact us at (734) 585-5653 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Krasnick to see if he can provide you with neck and shoulder pain relief.
OVERVIEW OF HEADACHE & NECK PAIN CONDITIONS
Cervicogenic Headache
It’s not all in your head
More About This Condition
In Cervicogenic Headache, pain can start in the neck and move up along the head and is usually on one side. It can be caused by strain, overuse and tension of the tendons, ligaments and neck muscles. Triggers can also be from trauma, from a fall or car accident with whiplash injury, or an underlying medical condition such as rheumatoid arthritis.
It is the most common source of headache and neck pain and stiffness in heavy weight lifting athletes. While the pain source is located in the cervical spine, it can be difficult to diagnose because pain is not always felt in the neck. Symptoms can also mimic other forms of headaches, such as migraine and tension-type headache.
Cervicocranial Syndrome & Barré-Lieou Syndrome
More About This Condition
Cervicocranial Syndrome is a cluster of symptoms that are believed to be caused by instability and misalignment in the cervical vertebrae (neck bones). The condition is also sometimes called Barré-Lieou syndrome or posterior cervical sympathetic syndrome. Cervicocranial Syndrome can include a wide range of symptoms. They include: headache, neck pain, sinus congestion, facial pain, ear pain, vertigo (dizziness or loss of balance), tinnitus (ringing in the ears), disturbed vision, hoarseness and loss of voice, clicking in the neck, difficulty swallowing, pain at the carotid artery.
With Cervicocranial Syndrome, weak or injured ligaments in the neck cause the cervical vertebrae to become misaligned or unstable. That in turn puts pressure on the nerve cells that are located just in front of the neck bones. The result is the wide-ranging symptoms associated with the condition. Sometimes Cervicocranial Syndrome arises from a sudden injury to the neck, such as may happen in a car accident or skiing accident. In other cases, it develops over time as a result of spending a lot of time hunched over work or developing arthritis. Sometimes it can be congenital, meaning you were born with the condition.
Whiplash Injury
More About This Condition
Whiplash is a neck injury due to forceful, rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck, like the cracking of a whip. Whiplash is commonly caused by rear-end car accidents. But whiplash can also result from sports accidents and other types of traumas, such as a fall. Whiplash is a form of neck sprain or strain. Most people with whiplash get better within a few weeks by following a treatment plan that includes pain medication and exercise. However, some people have chronic neck pain and other long-lasting complications. Sometimes the ligaments, tendons, and fascia that support the neck structures are injured and become weak.
Herniated, Bulging & Degenerative Disc Disease (Arthritis)
A pain in the neck!
More About This Condition
When a disc moves from its normal space between vertebrae, it puts pressure on the ligaments and nerves that surround it. This causes pain from pressure on the nerves as well as muscle spasms. The pain leads to weakness, spinal instability and more pain.
Traditional treatments. Have you tried them and still have pain?
With chronic strain on the ligaments, tendons and muscles of the head and neck, these structures become weak which leads to more pain causing a vicious pain cycle. Patients with chronic headaches and neck pain often resort to taking pain medication known as Non-Steroidal-Anti-Inflammatory-Drugs (NSAIDS) such as Ibuprofen, Advil and Motrin. These drugs do reduce inflammation and provide temporary relief of pain, but also reduce the cells that are needed to repair damaged tendons and ligaments. NSAIDS can also lead to bleeding in the stomach, ulcers and kidney damage.
Dr. Krasnick has had success treating patients with headache and neck pain with regenerative medical treatments. Treatment allows the weak tendons and ligaments to heal and become strong again and reduce pain naturally without the need for medications, NSAIDS, steroids, narcotics or surgery.
