Neck Pain
What is Neck Pain?
The neck is made up of vertebrae that extend from the skull to the upper torso. The bones, ligaments, and muscles of your neck support your head and allow for motion. Any abnormalities, inflammation, or injury can cause neck pain or stiffness.
The neck acts as a bridge between the head and the torso. The neck muscles, ligaments, and bones support the head allowing the motion of the head. Any inflammation in these muscles, joints, or ligaments can cause neck pain. As a result, it may become painful or difficult to do simple everything things like turning your head or simply holding your head up throughout the day.
Symptoms of Neck Pain
There are many symptoms of neck pain. Some common symptoms of neck pain are:
- Stiffness in the neck causing limited movement
- Stabbing or throbbing pain
- Swelling or tenderness
- Tightness in muscles
- Difficulty in moving your head
- Numbness, tingling, or weakness
- Radiating pain, starting from the neck to shoulder, head, arms, and fingers
- Headache
Causes of neck pain
There are a variety of reasons that can cause neck pain. Some of these causes are:
- Bad sleeping habits
- Improper posture
- Continuously working at your desk without changing your position
- Injuries
- Jerking your neck while exercising
- Muscle strain
- Carrying a heavy purse or backpack on one shoulder
- Infection
- Whiplash due to accidents
- Meningitis, fibromyalgia, cervical spondylosis, rheumatoid arthritis or other such conditions
Chiropractic Care for Neck Pain
The chiropractor will examine the whole spine from the neck (cervical) to the low back (lumbar) to check the affected areas causing neck pain. After the complete examination, the chiropractor will make certain adjustments to the neck. The neck adjustments can loosen up the joints and therefore, reduce the pain due to muscle spasms or pinching of nerves. The chiropractors can also recommend some therapeutic exercises for improving the overall movement of your neck.