Neck pain is a prevalent problem often caused by a particular injury or normal spinal deterioration that happens over a period of time. Also known as the cervical spine, the neck starts at the base of the skull and has seven vertebrae. The cervical spine is strong enough to handle the head's weight. Although the cervical spine can rotate the head in almost every direction, this flexibility makes it prone to pain and injury.
A mechanical disorder with the facet joints or discs is often the culprit when dealing with chronic pain; it originates from painful deterioration resulting from aging. Neck pain may be felt as a dull ache, tingling sensation, sharp pains around the neck, or pain moving down the arms. Some of the common causes of neck pain include:
Whiplash is an unexpected forced back-and-forth motion of the neck. The sudden force stretches and damages the surrounding muscles and tendons in the neck. The muscle's response is to tighten and contract, causing muscle fatigue, and consequently, pain and stiffness. Severe whiplash can also damage the intervertebral joints, discs, muscles, ligaments, and nerve roots. Whiplash is mostly caused by rear-end car accidents, but it can also result from sports injuries, physical abuse, or other traumas, like a bad fall.
Osteoarthritis, a common joint disorder, causes gradual depletion of cartilage. In the neck region, the condition leads to extreme friction around the neck's facet joints, causing pain and stiffness. Also, neck osteoarthritis can lead to bone spurs, resulting in headaches around the skull's lower region and nerve root pain in the hands, arms, or shoulders.
Another common cause of chronic neck pain is the deterioration or degeneration of the cervical spinal disc. This eventually results in bulging or herniated discs. Patients will feel tingling, numbness, stiffness, and neurological pain around the neck that radiates to the arms, as well as recurrent incidents of severe pain and disorientation.
Conditions like obesity, poor posture, and weak abdominal muscles can cause a spinal imbalance, forcing the neck to compensate by leaning forward. The strain and tension cause tightening and contraction of the muscles, leading to neck pain and stiffness. Postural stress is also a cause of chronic neck pain and may cause noticeable symptoms in the arms and upper back.
Licensed chiropractors can provide chiropractic treatment for neck pain. The adjustment is called cervical manipulation and offers patients a safe, non-invasive alternative to pain meds. Chiropractic care can restore motion to the joint and correct misalignments in the spine. The result is less inflammation and improved functions. With this effective pain management option, patients can start to recover and heal. The chiropractor will also teach their patients proper posture and exercise routines to prevent reoccurrence.
If you are dealing with neck pain, you are not alone. Regardless of the cause of the pain, you can get needed relief. Book an appointment for an assessment to get started.
Get more information here: https://spine-chiropractic.com or call Spine Chiropractic at (423) 910-2302
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