Auburn Chiropractic Care for Cervical Spine Conditions and Related Dysphagia (swallowing trouble)

Many Auburn cervical spine-related pain (like neck pain, stiffness, or other degenerative cervical spine disease conditions) sufferers wonder how it might impact your swallowing ability. Dysphagia is the technical term for difficulty with swallowing. While cervical spine conditions may have an impact on your pharynx and its swallowing function, it is valuable to recognize just how and why that would occur. Let’s, Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. and our Auburn chiropractic client, take a closer look at the connection between cervical spine disorders and swallowing function.

The Link Between Cervical Spine Pain and Swallowing Function

The relationship between cervical spine pain conditions and swallowing function entails both sensory and motor components. When it comes to the sensory part, pain originating in the neck can interfere with your ability to sense what is in your mouth, resulting in trouble determining when to swallow which may result in issues such as choking or coughing while eating. On the motor side of things, cervical spine pain conditions might also interfere with your ability to move food as it moves through your mouth and throat by disrupting normal tongue, jaw, and hyolaryngeal movements (the movement of the hyoid bone, the bone that holds the tongue). As a result, there may be trouble clearing food debris from your mouth after each bite or sip. Additionally, cervical spine disorder has been associated with heightened risk of aspiration (inhaling food particles) due to decreased laryngeal elevation that commonly occurs during swallowing. (1) Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. wants our Auburn cervical spine pain patients to be aware of such issues.

The Importance of Proper Treatment

The ability to swallow impacts one’s quality of life. A variety of diseases and spinal conditions may be the source of the swallowing trouble. Researchers are fine-tuning their evaluation of patients with swallowing issues. (2) A recent study reported that, lucky for these patients, those who have spine-associated dysphagia had better outcomes with treatment than those whose dysphagia was linked to other issues. (1) In fact, a case report of a female patient who had both dysphagia and cervical osteophytes, cervical kyphosis, and thoracolumar scoliosis was treated for 6 months with chiropractic and reported relief of all issues including dyspagia. (3) In order for individuals with cervical spine disorder-related dysphagia to again experience safe eating habits, proper treatment is essential. Treatment at Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. typically starts with a thorough examination to determine the underlying cervical spine issue followed by a treatment plan including gentle spinal manipulation care (often in the form of Cox® Technic) and exercises designed to improve strength and range of motion in the neck muscles plus strategies for swallowing safety when eating. Electrical stimulation has been found beneficial in targeting specific areas of weakness related to impaired tongue motion or jaw closure while also promoting increased blood flow throughout the neck region. (4,5) Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. deliveres research based and clinically experienced relieving treatment modalities along with chiropractic spinal manipulation.

CONTACT Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C.

While there isn't necessarily a quick fix for this problem—treatment typically takes some time—with patience and commitment you can get the results you want with personalized care tailored specifically for your needs. Schedule your Auburn chiropractic appointment soon.