Neck Pain
Anyone who has suffered with neck pain knows how frustrating and uncomfortable it can be. Even slight movement of the neck can trigger waves of pain, especially when the pain is acute. When the pain becomes more chronic in nature, people usually feel stiffness, soreness, or a dull ache. Often, we also find a limited and uncomfortable range of motion.
The neck is the most mobile part of our spine, and this makes it more vulnerable to injury and irritation. Many types of issues can affect the neck including: whiplash injuries, muscle spasms, muscles and joint sprains, disc bulges and nerve compression. Neck pain is one of the leading causes of disability in our society and is often associated with headaches and migraines.
Common causes of neck pain:
- Poor posture/spinal alignment
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Stress
- Weak muscles/muscle imbalance
- Shoulder issues
- Excessive sitting
- Car accidents (or other whiplash injuries)
- Sports injuries
- Traumas (slips, falls, etc.)
- Ergonomic issues (sleeping, working, etc.)
- Overuse/ repetitive strain injuries
- Underlying disease or pathology (rare)
What is the most common cause of neck pain?
Once we have ruled out any major medical issues, the most common cause of neck pain is biomechanical. In this instance, the joints of the spine are not moving as freely as they are supposed to. This causes local pain and restriction and over time, can contribute to spinal degeneration, muscle spasms, discs bulges, and nerve irritation.
Poor posture and spinal alignment issues are the most common causes of neck pain. Poor alignment and posture places unnecessary pressure on the joints of the cervical (neck) spine and the surrounding muscles and fascia.
How we can help:
At Alternative Space Chiropractic, we take a holistic approach with neck pain. We always treat the whole body and not just the parts that hurt. For neck issues, we treat the issue locally and also pay attention to the rest of the body. This is because the body compensates to take pressure off of joints and tissues that are feeling pain, so most issues will have compensations throughout the rest of the body.
We typically find that the cause of a neck complaint is an issue in the cervical spine, but there are often contributing factors coming from the upper back or shoulders which also need attention. Our approach involves local and specific soft tissue work and adjustments to your spine and other areas as needed.
Our goals are to help you not only relieve your pain and improve your conditions, but also to get your whole body healthier and functioning better. When we work on the whole body, your main issue resolves faster and you may notice other issues improving, even if you didn’t bring them up. There can be many factors into what is causing your headaches and we have seen many different patterns and ways they can develop and present in the body.
Our Process
Our process involves a complimentary consultation which allows us to determine if we are the best fit to help you. If we are not, we will refer you to the right people. If we think that we can help you, we will proceed with a paid examination.
During the examination process, we will perform a range of orthopedic, neurological, and musculoskeletal tests in order to find the problem. Once we have the necessary information, we will tell you what we found. If X-rays are necessary, we will refer you to a radiology center nearby.
After that, we will create a custom treatment plan designed to help you heal naturally. Our treatments include spinal adjustments, extremity adjustments, muscle and fascia work, posture drills, exercises, stretches, tonal balancing, and anything else we can think of that will help you heal faster. We also consider your lifestyle and help you make modifications to prevent future issues. All treatments are catered to suit your body and give it what it needs.
We look forward to seeing if we can help you find the cause and solution to your neck pain.
