Neck Pain Causes – Can Chiropractic Help?

The statistics provide evidence that most of us know what it feels like to have neck pain and/or reduced neck movement.  It makes doing such things as texting, computer work, watching TV, and driving difficult and painful.  Thus, I would like to review some of the common structures involved in neck pain causes and most importantly what you can do to improve your neck pain.

There are several tissues that can cause neck pain:

• MUSCLES: There are many types of muscles in your neck. There are small, “stabilizer” muscles that work to provide spinal stability.  These muscles are also important for fine motor movements.  There are also larger muscles, “gross movers” which allow us to flex, extend, and rotate our head.  The muscles typically cause neck pain by repetitive overuse.  Some activities that could cause repetitive overuse would include computer work, driving long distances, reading, and texting.
• DEGENERATIVE JOINTS: It is a normal process for joints to degenerate over time. We will all experience degenerative joints if we live long enough.  Another term for this is osteoarthritis.  In the neck, the facet joints, if degenerated will cause neck pain.
• DISC ISSUES: The discs are structures that are between each vertebra in the neck and back. One of their main functions is to act as a shock absorber.  A good way to think about your disc is like a jelly donut.  If the jelly leaks out of the donut it can cause neck pain, upper back pain, and arm pain depending on the structures it pinches.  This is where the term herniated disc comes from.
• NERVE IRRITATION: The nerves that exit at each level of the neck control the function and sensation of the arms. Thus, nerve irritation within the neck can also contribute and cause numbness and tingling throughout the arm and hand.
• LIGAMENTS: The ligaments are what connect bone to bone. The ligaments can be stretched and/or torn from traumas such as whiplash.  Over time an injured ligament can lead to excessive joint play and thus the development of osteoarthritis.  This would speed up the normal process of degenerative joints listed above.  Degenerated joints or osteoarthritis is a very common neck pain cause.

WHAT CAN I DO: If you have neck pain, please don’t delay, make an appointment today.  Your Doctor of Chiropractic will perform a thorough history and examination.  The purpose of this is to determine your neck pain causes and what structure is most likely generating your neck pain.  The manual therapies and adjustments performed by your chiropractor can help reduce neck pain and improve mobility.  It is also very helpful in returning you to your normal activities as quickly as possible.

Please call our office today to begin experiencing neck pain relief.  Our office is a member of ChiroTrust.  As a member of ChiroTust, our office has taken The ChiroTrust Pledge to provide our patients, convenient, affordable, and mainstream Chiropractic Care without any unnecessary long-term treatment plans and/or therapies.   To determine if Chiropractic Care can help you we offer a no obligation FREE consultation with Dr. Eric Lund.

Our office serves Roseville, MN, Saint Paul, MN, Arden Hills, MN, Shoreview, MN, and Falcon Heights, MN.