Your neck (or cervical spine) needs to be strong. It needs to support the weight of your head and be flexible enough to allow you to look around freely. Unfortunately, the daily demands placed upon it can over time lead to the development of pain. Neck pain is the second most common complaint we see at Zest Chiropractic. In fact, two thirds of people will experience this condition at some point during their lifetime (Carroll et al 2008). For some people neck pain may become a chronic or recurrent problem – but it doesn’t have to be that way! So what are the common causes, how you can prevent it, and how can chiropractic help?
Common Causes
A very common cause of neck pain is cervical facet syndrome. This is pain from strain and inflammation of the facet joints and the nerves in the neck. Symptoms of this include neck pain which radiates to the shoulder, or arm. It may also refer up to the base of the skull. It can be associated with neck stiffness, muscular tenderness and headaches.
Arthritis in the neck (cervical spondylosis) is a frequent cause of neck pain too. As the cartilage in the joints wears it can become inflamed and painful. Also as bony spurs form on the vertebrae they can affect neck movement and irritate nerves.
When the discs in between the vertebrae also begin to degenerate and lose height this can compress the nerve roots nearby causing radiating shoulder, arm and hand pain, pins and needles and muscle weakness. This is called spinal stenosis. Disc bulges or herniations (aka slipped disc) also cause neck pain and can be associated with radiating pain, pins and needles, numbness or weakness in the shoulder, arm and / or hand.
Very often the reason the above conditions develop is due to abnormal strain on the joints, muscles, ligaments, discs and nerves in the neck. This strain comes from poor posture, or poor ergonomics. It can build up over time if left unchecked. Smoking, lack of physical activity and anxiety and depression are also risk factors for developing neck pain.
Neck Pain Prevention
Aside from not smoking, keeping active and managing your stress, one of the best things you can do to avoid neck pain is take care of your posture. You can check out our blog on posture for more detail. But for now here are some tips to keep in mind.
- When standing your ear should be in line with your shoulder, hip, knee and ankle
- When sitting, sit back in your chair, knees bent, feet on the floor (not crossed at the ankles), arms on the rests or the desk
- Have your monitor at eye level
- Take regular rest breaks – get up and move around every 30 minutes
- Use a laptop stand or book stand so not looking down over work
- Don’t cradle your phone in your neck
- Sleep on your back or side, not your front
- Use a pillow that supports your head and neck so that your head is level with your body – not pushed forward or tilted up to the side
Neck Pain Treatment
If neck pain is still troubling you despite following the above tips then come and see us at Zest Chiropractic. We love helping people with neck pain to get their lives back and get back to doing the things they enjoy! Our emphasis is not just on getting rid of pain; but also strengthening and retraining the spine, keeping you at your best and helping to prevent future problems. Chiropractic adjustments stimulate your body’s own natural healing ability, reducing pain, restoring movement and improving inflammation. We also include lots of advice on posture, ergonomics and exercise – anything that will support a natural recovery and promote long term healing, strength and flexibility.
Carroll LJ, Hogg-Johnson S, van der Velde G et al. Course and prognostic factors for neck pain in the general population: results of the Bone and Joint Decade 2000–2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders. Spine 2008;33(4 Suppl):S75-S82.