Have you ever tried waking up early in the morning only to realize that you have severe upper neck pain? Well, you’re not alone! Thousands of Americans can relate to your situation. Some even go through the same horror every morning because of persisting health conditions.
While chronic neck pain is not a life-threatening problem, it can cause a long list of issues ranging from decreased productivity to a sour mood. Surely, you don’t want to experience such inconveniences and hope to end the symptom by targeting its root cause. Join us in investigating the common causes or triggers of upper neck pain.
Table of Contents
Chronic neck pain often stems from problems in the upper cervical spine or neck. Sometimes, the pain can last for days and recur several times a month. Here’s a more in-depth look at each neck pain-causing condition:
Chronic upper neck pain often indicates spinal misalignments. When the bones are out of place, the muscles attached to them tighten. The imbalance can also increase pressure and pain sensitivity because of pinched nerves or compressed brainstem tissues.
Many patients who seek upper cervical chiropractic complain about the tense muscles in their cervical spine. Notably, some of these cases happen because of stress. Other upper cervical patients develop neck muscle tension because of poor posture, repeated body movements, sedentary lifestyle, and intense manual labor.
A 2014 study explains that fibromyalgia often develops hand in hand with cervical radiculopathy. Fibromyalgia patients often experience worse neck pain because of their oversensitive pain receptors. Additionally, they encounter other crippling symptoms like unexplainable fatigue, nausea, vertigo, headaches, and brain fog.
Whiplash is a neck problem that develops after a rear-side car accident. The injury develops because the neck suffers from excessive jolting during the accident. Sometimes, pain also occurs because of damaged spinal discs, worn-out ligaments, and injured muscles attached. Notably, the pain can vary from mild to severe and disappear over time if a patient does not have misaligned C1 and C2 neck bones.
The latest statistics reveal that as much as half a million Americans have spinal stenosis. Essentially, this condition causes the spinal canal to narrow and press on the nerve bundles that traverse the spinal column. It can also lead to a compressed or irritated brainstem that triggers long-standing upper neck pain.
Doctors commonly refer to osteoarthritis as cervical spondylosis. It’s a condition that stems from impaired spinal cord function and degenerative disc diseases. It can cause many health complaints, including stiff bones, intermittent neck pain, bone overgrowth, nerve damage, and decreased mobility.
Soft tissues are vulnerable to injury or torn when stretched beyond limits. So, you can expect to develop sprains or strains when you overstretch your neck bones and joints when playing contact sports, sitting for prolonged hours, or placing a phone between your face and shoulder.
A herniated disc occurs when you have damaged intervertebral discs. This problem commonly develops in aging people, especially those with compromised spinal structures. Notably, it can also affect younger with obesity problems and constantly engage in rigorous physical activities.
When you have a herniated or bulging disc, it means that the gel-like substance contained by the fibrous layer of the disc leaked into the nearby muscles and nerve roots. So if this happens in the cervical spine, the symptoms will most likely affect the neck, shoulders, and upper extremities.
Everyone has their own of coping with upper neck pain. For example, some take pain relievers and muscle relaxants. On the one hand, others turn to upper cervical chiropractic and target the root cause of their suffering. If you prefer to address chronic pain naturally, we suggest exploring the same option.
After all, upper cervical care has proven itself worthy of being a holistic remedy for chronic neck pain. Thousands of people seek this method and experience massive relief after correcting their neck bone misalignments.
It is generally safe and effective because upper cervical doctors understand the role of the C1 and C2 bones in maintaining good health. If you want evidence-based facts on how the technique works, we recommend looking into clinical studies such as the following:
The patient experienced noticeable improvements in his ankylosing spondylitis and upper neck pain following his upper cervical chiropractic adjustments. He received neck adjustments 16 times for one year.
Before receiving upper cervical chiropractic adjustments, the patient presented upper neck pain and arm numbness as her main symptoms. She also had noticeable changes in her neck curvature. Using upper cervical techniques, her neck chiropractor helped her restore the imbalance in her cervical spine and eliminate her symptoms.
You don’t have to endure chronic neck pain alone. More importantly, you don’t have to give up on what you love to do just because you have recurring symptoms. Hopefully, now that you know the common upper neck pain triggers, you can better cope with your symptoms. Are you ready to lead a neck pain-free life? Seek an upper cervical doctor and find out if you have misaligned C1 and C2 bones!
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TV show host Montel Williams describes how specific chiropractic care has helped his body.
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.
