It all started with a headache a few days before xmas 2015 which didn't go away for a long time. Mid-Jan I start getting a pain near my right shoulder blade. Had just had a long day at Woodland, been working a lot in general. Coupled with working two jobs, the holidays, new job,... overload on stress and being tired. So I thought my muscles were just overly tense plus possible repetitve stress injury/tendonitis. Went and got a massage early Feb which helped with the headaches but not the back and arm pain. Kept thinking time will heal so didn't go see a doctor. Mid-march, the pain seems to be getting a little better, some days better than others. Excedrin helped when I needed it. But still couldn't sleep thru the nite without the pain waking me up. Tried CBD (Cannabidoil, basically pot without the THC) which didn't seem to really work. Had some edibles with Melatonin which helped and allowed me to sleep thru the night for the first time in two months. But still there were painful days. Someone suggested seeing a chiropractor which made sense. After some xrays, turns out I have a reverse cervical curve, or cervical kyphosis. Basically, the natural curve in my neck is reversed which affects the nerves, sending me pain. We think this happened over many years, a combination of mainly the six car accidents, and bad posture. Plus a mild scoliosis in the spine, which may be there since birth, and its really not correctable but mainly will try to keep from getting worse. The cervical kyphosis will take 5-8 years to correct. Have read online that it doesn't always to back to the normal curve but will at least become straight. Will take 3-5 years before we will see any changes on an xray. So for now I will go in twice a week for four weeks to get adjustments, learn strengthening and stretching exercises to do at home. And as I notice I may need an adjustment, which go in as needed. At the lower part of the neck bones, there is disc degeneration in one disc, which he says will not regenerate. Rest of neck discs looked good. The bones surrounding the degenerated disc looked like the edges were starting to sharpen, my guess is because of the grinding. Have had two adjusts so far and doing neck stretches (which hurt), and today it feels like the pain and frequency is less so I'm guessing the healing process had begun. He says the pain should go away within a month. So that's something to look forward to.
Interesting side note..." The lack of cervical spine curvature causes tension on the spinal cord and carotid arteries as they ascend into the brain to feed it oxygen and nutrients. This can cause dizziness, headaches, nausea, fatigue, tinnitus, pain, nervousness, insomnia, high blood pressure, and confusion, just to name a few. " I wonder if my blood pressure will retun to normal when my neck is fixed...
