Experiencing Neck, Shoulder, Arm, or Wrist Pain? (Is Your C6 or C7 Out of Alignment?)

Have you ever ​experienced neck, shoulder, arm, or wrist pain, tightness, tingling, or weakening? If you have, you’ll want to listen closely to the story of your C6 and C7 vertebrae. In fact, even if you are not aware of any problems you may have, it’s still important to get to know these vital segments of your spine so you can understand their value to your health.
 
Misalignments of your C6 and C7 can go undetected for long periods of time. There can be years of subluxations, untreated, where you don’t feel anything. Then all of a sudden things start showing up but you dismiss it with “explain aways” like overuse, old age, an old injury, or other reasons to minimise important messages coming from within your body.

Instead of looking to your spine (Because who teaches you to do that?), you are told to treat a headache with ibuprofen, wrap your wrist with tape in hopes that the pain will somehow magically disappear, or leave things for as long as you can stand it only to find yourself in a position of having to seek more radical solutions that you don’t want to do.
 
All of these outward signs took a lot of time to manifest. And for the most part, were hidden or undetectable. This is why it is vital to maintain your health with regular spinal checkups.
 
Like the illustration below, showing the check engine light going on in your car, if you put a plaster over the light to hide it, the root of the problem won't get addressed. This will prove more costly over time. 

Whereas, if you keep up regular maintenance appointments and the mechanic can look under the bonnet, do proper diagnostics, and maintain parts and fluids, your car runs smoothly, lasts longer, and doesn’t cost so much to fix.

It works much the same with your health. 
 
Medical solutions normally treat pain with drugs, so the heart of your health issues hide, fester, or only get worse. Whereas, chiropractic solutions look to the spine for the source of the problem so the root cause can be resolved giving your body a better chance to get better and even heal.
 
Highlights of Your C6 Vertebra:

• Plays a pivotal role in governing movements in your neck, shoulders, and upper arms.
• Is instrumental in maintaining sensory perception in the lower part of your neck. You know that sense you get when someone is behind you or that urgency you feel when you turn and see your child about to touch something that could hurt them? All of those things are the sensory perception that you want intact through proper adjustments to C6. 
• Working harmoniously with its neighboring vertebrae, C6 contributes to the incredible range of motion and coordination that your neck enjoys. A stiff neck can lead to pain in your shoulders, arms, hands, and even prevent you from breathing properly. 

 
Highlights of Your C7 Vertebra:

• As the lowest of the cervical vertebrae, C7 acts as a strong anchor connecting your neck to your upper back. 
• It provides crucial support for your shoulder blades and upper back muscles, enabling you to perform actions like lifting, twisting, and various upper body movements. If C7 is misaligned for long periods of time, this can result in premature weakening of vital muscles and bone structure. 

 
Both C6 and C7 work together to collaborate seamlessly to uphold good posture, maintain muscle strength, and facilitate effortless movements. That may not seem very vital when everything is working, but without the ability to do all those things life becomes hard, and the dominoes of dis-ease start to fall into place causing bigger, more painful, and more costly problems you wish you never had. 
 
Instead of reacting to things when you feel bad, be proactive with your health so you can experience confidence, peace of mind, and happiness for many, many years to come!
 
Should you have any questions or wish to schedule an appointment, please don't hesitate to get in touch. Your wellness journey is our priority. YOU come first.
 
Yours in health, 

Dr. Michael