Neck Pain
Neck Pain can affect many areas of your life including work, sleep & exercise. It can come on suddenly or build up over time gradually. Our Hilton Chiropractor Nicole will explain:
2. Most common Signs & Symptoms
3. Causes
5. Top tips on Prevention
The neck (or cervical spine) is made up of 7 bones (vertebrae), surrounded by muscles and nerves exiting out of the spine.
There are 8 nerves of the cervical spine and they supply the head, neck, upper limbs (arms) & diaphragm! They have a very important function in your body!
Neck pain is the second most common reason patients present to the Chiropractor in Hilton, with Lower Back Pain being the most common.
Neck pain is usually described as soreness, pain or discomfort originating from the neck area.
This is either from muscles, joints or nerves.
There are other causes of neck pain that are more serious, but occur much less frequently. These are usually related to having a chronic condition or past injury.
Neck pain can be very painful, debilitating and cause other symptoms at the same time such as Headaches or Dizziness – this why most patients try and get treatment and seek Neck Pain relief!
At Chiro & Co. Hilton, we recommend an appropriate History & Examination of your neck pain to assess the cause. That way you can get treatment specific to your case & source of the problem.
What are the Signs & Symptoms of Neck Pain?
– Pain or soreness around the neck area
– Pain or stiffness with movement of the neck
– Pain that radiated from the neck into the: Head, Shoulders, Arms, Upper back
– Pinpoint pain in one spot in the neck
– Waking up in the morning with a stiff or sore neck
– Pain can range from mild to moderate/severe
– Pain can last a few minutes or be constant
What are the Causes of Neck Pain?
The 3 main structures that can be irritated in the Neck are:
Muscles
Joints
Nerves
Pain usually starts from 2 reasons:
Too little (inactivity):
Sitting at a desk (student, desk work)
Not enough exercise
Too much (repetitive strain) causes are usually:
Repetitive activities or postures
Increasing exercises too fast (or too much weight
Cracking or releasing your own neck
Or other non-mechanical causes:
Emotional stress
Lack of sleep
What are the Treatment Options for Neck Pain?
The aim in getting Neck Pain relief is to:
1. Get the joints moving better
2. Releasing tense & tight muscles
3. Retraining weak muscles to prevent the pain coming back
Our Chiropractor in Hilton uses a range of ‘Hands on’ therapies such as:
– Spinal joint manipulation & mobilisations
– Muscle release (Vibration massage, Trigger point therapy)
– Bio-mechanical Pelvic Blocks
Also a range of ‘Hands off’ therapies:
– Specific stretches
– Strengthening exercises
– Rehabilitation programmes
– Home / Work / Sleep advice
– Posture advice & retraining
How Do I Prevent Neck Pain?
A combination of techniques listed below will ensure you have the best chance of preventing Neck Pain & getting long-term relief.
Prevention techniques include:
- Regular stretches, movement & exercises (for the Neck & also the rest of the body)
- Maintaining a good diet, low in processed (or inflammatory) foods, and plenty of water
- Managing Stress levels (Yoga, Meditation, Good Sleep habits)
- Good Quality Pillow (& the correct shape) – We have a Blog Post on How to Select the Best Pillow!
- And most importantly: Taking care of your body! This will change person to person – Try and find a combination of modalities that you enjoy & are beneficial for your body. For example: Massage, Dry needling/acupuncture, Float Tanks, Sauna, Chiropractic Adjustments etc!