Fatigue, Sneezing, Shoulder, and Upper Back Neck Pain

Chiropractor Chapel Hill, NC

In the spring of the year, the Doctor of Chiropractic sees many patients experiencing upper back neck pain, tiredness, coughing, sneezing, and shoulder discomfort. These combined symptoms reflect the state of the environment around us and within each person. Chiropractic care can effectively mitigate the pain and exhaustion of springtime ailments. It is a hands-on healthcare option when other medical treatments, such as allergy medications, sleep aids, and pain-relieving drugs, aren’t enough.

Upper Back Neck Pain

At our chiropractic and acupuncture office, Dr. Lisa Oskardmay performs massage on the back before treatment. Massage reduces tension and increases body awareness and connectedness. Following massage, she adjusts areas of vertebral misalignment, helping spinal alignment, muscle attachment sites, and nerve output.

One principal back and shoulder muscle is the latissimus dorsi muscle, covering the midback over the ribs to the top of the iliac crest or hip bone on either side. Nerves from the lower part of the neck (C6,7,8) carry messages to and from this vast back muscle. When one has trouble breathing, for instance, when there is a lot of pollen in the air, the latissimus dorsi muscle becomes more active. Pain or fatigue in this muscle hampers breathing because it assists in rib elevation and depression. Invariably, spring changes and pollen in the air impact the back and the cervical spine in this manner.

Another important shoulder and back muscle is the trapezius muscle, which receives motor nerve innervation from cranial nerve 11 and sensory from cervical nerves C3 and 4. The only upper limb muscle not innervated by the brachial plexus, the trapezius muscle nonetheless influences the neck. Its fibers stretch from the outer shoulder to the posterior neck to the occiput and down to the lower rib area. When breathing is difficult due to seasonal allergies and pollen-filled thick air, this muscle fatigues more readily.

Soreness and fatigue in the trapezius and latissimus dorsi muscles reflect the cervical spine via the sensory nerve roots, causing neck fatigue and forward head flexion, further hampers respiration. Chiropractic care and massage help to stop and reverse the vicious cycle of events that springtime air quality brings.

At our office, Dr. Oskardmay can also provide acupuncture treatment to stimulate healing and immune response. She also offers helpful exercise and nutrition protocols to improve each person’s overall well-being.

Call (919) 929-1400, email schedule@acudocnc.com or visit our website acudocnc.com to schedule your integrative treatment. Serving the Triangle since 1995, Acupractic Natural Healing Center is here for you.