Neck pain can range from bothersome and annoying
to outright debilitating. It can generally happen due to poor
posture, repetitive movement, accidents, slip and fall, or
degeneration of the spine. Our neck, also known as cervical spine,
begins at the base of the skull and is comprised of seven small
vertebrae that protect the delicate structures of your spinal cord
and nervous system. The cervical spine is one of the most flexible
components of your body, which makes it highly susceptible to
injuries because it lacks stability which can make it vulnerable to
trauma. Let's take a look at some of the common causes of neck pain.
1. Accidents –
Accidents are one of the most common
causes of neck pain. The head can move suddenly in one direction and
then “rebound” in the other direction as in car accidents which
can cause inflammation and injury to the tissues. The sudden movement
of the head injures the supporting tissues of the neck and head such
as the discs, ligaments, muscles and intervertebral discs may get
injured. If pain travels down into the shoulders or arms it might be
radicular pain which can be caused by a disc bulge or herniation
which may require MRI for further evaluation of the pathology
associated with the injury.
2. Osteoarthritis –
Osteoarthritis is a harmful condition which causes progressive
impairment of cartilage. The body starts to form bone spurs that
further destabilize the joint motion causing pain and inflammation
from normally activities of daily living. Arthritis is a progressive
condition which is why proper treatment and preventative techniques
are essential to maintaining proper joint health and stability.
3. Subluxation–
Your nervous system controls every aspect of your body. It is like
the master computer system that controls every aspect from your sleep
cycle to digestion. Your spine protects the delicate nerves that send
signals to and from the brain. Thus when a subluxation occurs, which
is a misalignment of the spine with neurological and bio-mechanical
compromise, it can cause symptoms such as headaches, neck pain, back
pain, shoulder pain, etc. because the misalignment can cause abnormal
irritation and inflammation of the nerves and joints of the spine.
Chiropractors are your best option to address subluxations because
they can detect and correct these spinal misalignment by analyzing
the spine through palpation or X-ray making sure to correct these
problems preventing further injury to the joint and tissues.
4. Spinal
stenosis – Spinal stenosis is the
abnormal narrowing of the spinal canal that restricts the spinal
canal, resulting in a neurological deficit. A person undergoing this
condition may suffer numbness, pain and paraesthesia (an abnormal
sensation such as tickling, tingling, numbness or burning of a
person's skin with no apparent cause). If spinal stenosis becomes
severe enough it may require surgery. This is why early symptoms of
stenosis should be addressed with chiropractic, physical therapy,
massage and proper medical intervention to avoid worsening of the
symptoms.
5. Posture–
Sitting for prolonged hours in the same position, weak core or
abdominal muscles can also affect your neck. Poor posture generally
leads to chronic neck pain with symptoms extending to other areas of
the body such as the top of the shoulders or mid-back. New research
has also come out which has called, "Sitting is the new
smoking." What is meant by this term is that sitting has now
become the number 1 cause of preventable illness in the US. This used
to be smoking but due to a more sedentary lifestyle we are seeing
sitting lead to problems such as obesity, diabetes, neck and back
pain, hypertension, headaches, etc all because the body is not built
to sit for prolonged periods such as many of your occupations
require. The most startling finding from this research is that going
to the gym or exercising after work does not completely reverse the
negative effects of prolonged sitting. It is still beneficial to
exercise frequently but prolonged sitting can cause irreversible
damage to your health. This is why we have seen such an increase
standing desks which are much more affordable and recommended by many
chiropractors around the nation.
How to treat chronic conditions of neck pain?
Considering mediations and injections only mask
the pain leaving the cause to return and possibly worsen overtime the
best option is to address the root cause of the problem. The best 3
options for this are:
- Physical Therapy
- Massage
A chiropractor can adjust the spine depending upon
your condition to align the joints of the spine reducing irritation
and inflammation to the tissues. A neck adjustment (also called
cervical manipulation) is a gentle procedure of realigning the spine
to reduce neurological irritation. This can be done by hand or
machine such as the activator. The procedure improves the mobility of
the joints, reduces pain and soreness and helps increase the movement
of adjoining muscles.
Physical therapy can provide specific exercises or
stretches to correct muscle imbalances or corrupted muscle firing
patterns helping to prevent future flare-ups and problems.
Massage can help to decrease muscle pain and
stiffness allowing increased blood flow for healing and mobility to
make patients feel more relaxed and get back to living life pain
free.
Acupuncture can restore proper neurological
function and energy or "Chi" to help reduce pain and
restore function. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine have been around
for over 3000 years helping people with all types of conditions
ranging from fertility treatments to back pain.
Typically at South Orange County Chiropractic your
treatment will consist of a custom tailored program consisting of
these 4 treatments to get you feeling your best and back to living
life free to pain.
Patients who utilize these treatments have noticed
significant improvements in their pain but also in their overall
quality of life. The complete rehabilitation treatment plan may
comprise of a combination of several techniques such as
physical therapy, massage, acupuncture and chiropractic care because
everyone is different which is why your doctor will evaluate your
condition to determine the best custom treatment protocols for your
problem. For more info, feel free to call us at +
1 (949) 470-4757
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