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Common Neck Pain Causes
As “exposed” as the neck is, it is susceptible to the following causes of neck pain:
Neck injury
The most common neck injury is whiplash; an injury that happens anytime the head suddenly snaps back and forth. You can get whiplash from a car accident, sports accident, or any other accident. This sudden “whipping” action misaligns vertebrae, strains muscles, and pinches nerves, causing everything from direct neck pain and stiffness to headaches, difficulty concentrating, shoulder pain, and more. Neck Adjustment Chiropractor Dr. Palmes is a whiplash expert and can help you recover.
Bad posture habits
Bad posture is notorious for causing neck pain, headaches, and even arthritis. Have you ever hung your head over your phone for long periods of time? This “forward head posture”, which is very common, pulls vertebrae out of alignment, pinches nerves, and strains the neck’s soft tissues. Chiropractic care and active attention to ergonomic ways of using technology can help you avoid these health-damaging habits.
Too much stress
Chiropractic Care for Neck Pain Relief
Chiropractic care is an excellent, drug-free pain relief option for neck pain and all the other pains that can stem from it (since your whole nervous system stems from the brain and goes through your neck). First, Chiropractor Dr. Palmes can apply gentle, precise spinal adjustments that correct your posture. And because you must be an active participant in your healing, he will also show you stretches and exercises you can do daily to bolster and rehabilitate your neck’s soft tissues, so they support correct posture. He can also give you all kinds of ergonomic advice for how to properly use your phone, sit at your desk, sit in the car, sleep in bed, stand in the kitchen… everything. You will feel so much better with this combination of natural, chiropractic neck pain relief strategies.
FAQs
What causes neck pain?
The cause of neck pain varies for each individual. More recently, neck pain has been a result of poor posture as a result of looking down for extended periods at one’s phone, laptop, or computer monitor. Even if you have a great workstation set up, extended periods of time using technology can add unnecessary stress to one’s neck. Other causes of neck and/or shoulder pain can include whiplash injuries (from car accidents/sports injuries), arthritis, poor sleeping habits, muscle imbalances, and misalignments/subluxations of the bones in the neck.
Symptoms related to neck pain or alignment issues in the neck?
Obviously, neck stiffness and lack of motion can be due to alignment issues in the neck. Neck pain can feel like shoulder and upper back pain. Pain can even radiate into the middle back, pain between the shoulder blades, or can feel like rib pain. Headaches and migraines can also be associated with issues in the neck. Sometimes one may not even experience neck discomfort and still have headaches caused by misalignments in the neck. Jaw pain or TMJ can be associated with neck pain or neck misalignments. Numbness, tingling, and/or weakness (carpal tunnel-like symptoms) can be caused by neck misalignments. Dizziness and vertigo can also be related to misalignments in the upper part of the neck.
Can chiropractic care help with neck pain?
Chiropractic care is super safe and highly effective for those with neck pain. Chiropractic can help restore proper range of motion, break up scar tissue, and alleviate pain. Chiropractors are trained to provide safe and effective care while performing neck adjustments. X-rays are often necessary to rule out instability and pathology, as well as provide a guide to assess one’s posture and course of care. Decompression therapy is also great in treating the cause of neck pain.
Is it ok to crack your own neck?
Yes and no. If you happen to hear a pop or crack while under controlled movement such as stretching or just simply turning your neck, then that is ok. Cracking your own neck becomes a problem if it becomes a habit and you feel like you need to self-adjust yourself multiple times a day or even if you have to do it daily. The reason this is a problem is that your body is trying to feel more comfortable, self-adjusting can actually cause more harm than good because of the forced rotation on one’s own neck. Proper chiropractic adjustments do not have a lot of forced rotation. Forced rotation can eventually lead to degenerative changes and arthritis. In fact, those under chiropractic care report a decrease in the urge to self-adjust or crack their own neck. Restoring the proper range of motion in the spine will provide that kind of relief.
See the Chiropractor Scripps Ranch and Surrounding Communities Trust for Neck Pain
Don’t let neck pain keep you from living your best life! Schedule an appointment with Dr. Palmes today, the chiropractor Scripps Ranch, Mira Mesa, Poway, Rancho Penasquitos, and Rancho Bernardo families’ go-to for effective, natural pain relief.
