Case Study #4: Long Term Wear in Housecleaning = Neck Pain

May 5, 2011: Ana came to us yesterday complaining of blistering pain in her neck. She is Brazilian and has worked as a house cleaner for over 20 years. She told us that her pain actually began 8 years ago and has gotten progessively worse. She saw a Chiropractor 2 years ago but he didn't take X-Rays and his adjustments offered only slight relief. After our careful case history with Isabel translating for us and 2 X-Rays of the neck, her problem became clear. The X-Rays told the story: she had lost her normal curvature of the cervical (neck) spine. Her neck, from a side view was straight. Normally, there is a curvilinear appearance like a half moon arc. Remember, the human spine is a suspension system and a loss of the normal front to back curves disrupts the entire spinal/musculo system. This was causing undue muscle spasm and the subsequent pain.  After just one treatment, Ana felt much better. But this is just the start; she will need to rehab her neck to regain the normal curvature she should have. To help this along, Ana bought from us an ortho pillow designed to restore the normal curvature to her neck. She'll need around 4-6 more treatments to get out of her pain. After that, it is up to her to continue to rehab her neck with postural changes and the use of that pillow nightly for the rest of her life. *Note in the patient's actual X-Ray seen below, how straight the curve is when seen from the side. She is only 39 years old.