For some people, neck pain is a common occurrence. In fact, chronic pain afflicts 100 million Americans according to the American Academy of Pain Medicine. Of that 100 million, approximately 15 million are experiencing neck pain.
Do you wake up in the morning with neck pain and struggle with it throughout the day? If so, you will be happy to learn about a natural way to deal with chronic neck issues. But before introducing this alternative therapy, it is important to understand what causes neck pain. This will lead to a better understanding of how to correct it.
Here is a brief list of some reasons for neck pain:
This may happen if a person is straining the muscles or causing tension by overusing them. For example, sitting in front of a computer all day looking at the screen at an awkward angle, sleeping in the wrong position, a fall, over-exercising, or other similar actions can lead to bone or joint problems.
Poor posture makes organs and tissues to shift due to uneven weight distribution. The spine compensates for this. Neck pain is the end result.
The upper cervical spine is consists of the top seven vertebrae. If these bones become misaligned due to such things as whiplash, a concussion, or another head or neck injury, they can be the source of neck pain.
Neck pain is often associated with shoulder pain, headaches, migraines, and tingling and numbness in the extremities. Neck pain may seem to pop up out of the blue. However, there is usually a connection to something that happened – either recently or many years ago. A car accident, a sporting injury, or a fall can all be reasons for pain in the neck region.
We’re going to take a closer look at a few causes of neck pain that are particularly prevalent in modern society.
The Washington Post wrote an expose about the text neck, a new health diagnosis. Basically, the idea is that our mobile devices are causing neck problems by changing our posture.
In 2014, people checked their phones an average of 13 times per day. By 2015, that number climbed to 46 times per day. That figure has continued to grow as many people use their phones for texting, social media, checking the time, checking the weather, and a host of other reasons. Now we may binge-watch a season of our favorite show on a smartphone or tablet. How does this affect the neck? Consider this:
That alone may make you think twice about craning your neck rather than raising the phone to eye level.
Don’t forget that, especially in Western society, many people covet office jobs. However, those office jobs may be contributing to neck pain by causing poor posture. Keeping computer monitors below eye level often result in the tilting downward of an employee’s head. Workers may also hold a phone between the shoulder and ear, resulting in further stress on the neck.
Here’s another study to add to your list of reasons to quit smoking. According to researchers in California, smoking cigarettes has been linked to cervical degenerative disc disease. Even when the difference in the age of the 182 participants in the study was accounted for, active smokers still had a significantly higher degree of degeneration of the discs that keep the neck vertebrae from rubbing together. Once the discs that separate the cervical vertebrae degenerate to a certain degree, chronic pain becomes difficult to correct.
Stress is another major factor resulting in neck pain, shoulder pain, and even headaches. How does stress cause neck pain? Stress in our body can result in the enlargement of our blood vessels. This is a positive reaction of the body to provide more oxygen to the largest muscle groups. It can give you that boost you need to survive an emergency event.
Unfortunately, the stress reaction also leads to the tightening of muscles in the neck as well as the shoulders, and jaw. The trapezius muscles in the back tighten up, which can also pull on the neck. It results in the restriction of neck and shoulder movements. In this heightened state of awareness, pain levels increase in the body, and that pain can add to the stress, creating a cycle that is difficult to overcome.
Here are a few tips to help reduce stress if this is the primary cause of your neck pain:
Exercise allows you to increase blood flow in a positive way. The body releases hormones that make a person feel better. Exercise may actually reduce the degree to which a person feels pain.
Smoking, overuse of alcohol, and high levels of caffeine can all add to the stress. Being moderate in your personal habits can go a long way toward reducing stress levels and pain.
Whether you use a stretching routine, learn deep breathing, or just sit down with a good book, learning to relax when tensions rise is important if stress is starting to have physical effects. Sometimes it just means learning when to say no or when to take a short break during the day.
It doesn’t have to be a therapist (although there is no shame in doing so), but find someone to talk to about what is stressing you. It may be a spouse or a close friend. You may even find an online support group for people dealing with your particular type of stress. Getting to talk things out in a judgment-free environment can be important.
Neck pain is a common cause of disability. As a result, the neck pain disability index (NDI) was developed to determine how disabled a person is by his or her neck pain. NDI is measured on a scale of 1 (no disability) to 100 (total disability). Also, the NRS (number rating scale) is a measure of pain based on a rating of 0 (no pain) to 10 (the worst possible pain). These two scales were used to determine the effects of low force upper cervical chiropractic care on patients with chronic neck pain.
The study involved 60 neck pain patients who had to meet several criteria. First, the patient had to have neck pain as the primary complaint (not neck pain as part of another condition like fibromyalgia or MS). Another factor involved having a detectable difference in leg lengths during a supine leg check. This would indicate the likelihood of an upper cervical subluxation (misalignment of the C1 or C2 vertebra). Plus, the misalignment needed to be confirmed using diagnostic imaging techniques.
Patients were then divided into two groups based on the degree of correction of atlas (C1) misalignment. Researchers compared disability and pain scores after a two-week period of upper cervical chiropractic care.
In those with a lower degree of correction, notice the following positive results:
Even better results occurred for the patient group that requires a greater degree of correction:
These results show that when an atlas misalignment exists along with neck pain, positive benefits can be achieved quickly by means of gentle upper cervical adjustments.
Neck pain is often treated with pain medication. These medications have a tendency to result in dependency. Some have even discovered that prescription pain medication for neck pain later became a gateway to illicit drug use. However, in a 2015 study, upper cervical care once again produced positive results and with no serious side effects.
In this study, 62% of patients who sought upper cervical care for neck pain found significant benefits in just 17 days or less. The patients in this study do not only involved those with neck pain as a primary symptom. In fact, many MS patients saw dramatic benefits in neck pain relief. This makes upper cervical care a potential source of pain relief for those suffering neck pain regardless of the underlying cause. It may be particularly beneficial for those seeking drug-free care or those with a history of head or neck injury.
Even the slightest misalignment of the upper cervical spine can affect the nerves, muscles, and other soft tissue of the neck in a negative way. This, in turn, can have a top-down effect, leading to one shoulder being higher than the other, one hip being lower, and a difference in leg length. As a result, shoulder or back pain may accompany the neck pain, or the pain may seem to move around.
Headaches and neck pain also have an association. Since upper cervical misalignments can lead to inhibited blood flow to the brain or pooling of cerebrospinal fluid, it is not uncommon for these symptoms to occur together when a misalignment is in play.
Rather than caring for symptoms with pain relievers, it makes sense to go after the underlying cause of the problem. But if you have never been to a chiropractor before or have had a bad experience with a general chiropractor, you may wonder what makes upper cervical care so unique. Here are a few benefits of this subspecialty of chiropractic care:
It employs low force corrections manually or using a chiropractic adjusting instrument. This is very different from the twisting or popping motion used by general chiropractors. Therefore, patients will feel little during the actual adjustment itself, and the body can avoid additional trauma from a sudden head movement. Corrections can hold for a long time and give the body the opportunity it needs to heal soft tissue damage. Thus, the case studies above noted that benefits occurred in just 14 to 17 days.
While most chiropractors will take x-rays before adjusting a patient, upper cervical chiropractors use diagnostic imaging for the exact measurement of misalignment. They measure the atlas location to hundredths of a degree to provide a customized adjustment for each patient. Once again, this leads to corrections that hold in place longer, not only giving the body time to heal but making this a cost-effective option. Upper cervical chiropractors provide adjustments only if needed, so if you go for an exam and the atlas has not shifted, you won’t be adjusted.
For these reasons, many enjoy the upper cervical chiropractic experience, even those who are not fans of general chiropractic.
Upper cervical chiropractic is gaining momentum as research reveals the benefits. If you are suffering from chronic neck pain why not give upper cervical care a try before resorting to more drastic measures. You may even find that the relief you get lessens not only the pain but also the degree of disability caused by the pain. The upper cervical approach to health care is a holistic (whole-body) approach to wellness. It can be beneficial for the whole family since adjustments are gentle enough for babies or the very elderly. To learn more, contact an upper cervical practitioner near you and schedule a consultation.
Can chiropractors help with neck pain?
Chiropractors and good chiropractic neck adjustments, called cervical manipulation, helps loosen up the joints of the cervical vertebrae in the neck. This effectively reduces pain caused by pinched nerves, muscle spasms, and strains.
When should you see a chiropractor for neck pain?
Visit a chiropractor near you if you experience stiffness or pain in the neck for a prolonged period of time. Your neck pain might be due to an improper sleeping position, long working hours, or a stressful lifestyle.
Who is best to see for neck pain?
It's always best to consult a qualified health professional who is experienced in diagnosing neck pain as it is connected to the spine. Chiropractors can help alleviate neck pain so find one now!
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The content and materials provided in this web site are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to supplement or comprise a medical diagnosis or other professional opinion, or to be used in lieu of a consultation with a physician or competent health care professional for medical diagnosis and/or treatment. All content and materials including research papers, case studies and testimonials summarizing patients' responses to care are intended for educational purposes only and do not imply a guarantee of benefit. Individual results may vary, depending upon several factors including age of the patient, severity of the condition, severity of the spinal injury, and duration of time the condition has been present.
