Anyone who has suffered with neck pain knows how debilitating it can be. Slight movement of the neck can be incredibly painful, especially in the acute phase. While as the condition becomes more chronic neck pain becomes more stiff, and sore with a dull ache. Limited and painful range of motion is usually present with this condition. The neck is one of the most highly mobile structures in our body, which is why it is susceptible to injuries. There are many types of conditions that affect the neck including; whiplash, cervical torticollis, muscles and joint sprains, disc bulges and nerve compression. Neck pain is one of the leading causes of disability in the western world, and is often closely associated with headaches.
Due to the many types of neck pain, there are many potential causes. Here are the most common causes of neck pain we see at Mind Body Spine:
Poor posture/spinal alignment
Prolonged Sitting/inactivity
Car Accidents (whiplash)
Ergonomic problems e.g. sleeping
Sporting Injuries and trauma
Overuse/ repetitive strain injuries
Underlying disease or pathology (rare)
Once we have ruled out any underlying disease or problem, the most common cause of neck pain is mechanical in nature. Meaning the joints of the spine are not moving as freely as they are designed to. This causes pain locally, can contribute to spinal degeneration, muscle spasms, building discs, and irritation of the nerves surrounding the neck.
Poor posture and spinal alignment are the most common cause of neck pain. Poor alignment places unnecessary pressure on the joints of the cervical (neck) spine.
At Mind Body Spine we take a holistic approach with neck pain, we treat your entire body, not just where it hurts. There can be many factors into what is causing your neck pain, so it is essential we provide an accurate diagnosis.
Our process involves a complimentary consultation which allows us to determine if we are in fact the right office to help you. If we are not, we will be sure to refer you to the right office. If we deem that we can help you, you will move on to a paid examination.
During this examination process, we will perform a range of orthopedic, neurological, postural and musculoskeletal tests in order to find out what the problem is. Once we have all of this information, we will report back to you with our findings.
At this stage, you may be referred for X-rays to aid our diagnosis.
From here we will create a personalized treatment plan, designed to help you recover naturally. Our treatment approach will include spinal adjustments, adjustments to the joints of the body particularly the lower limb, muscle work, plus the prescription of rehab exercises and stretches designed to improve your posture.
With neck pain, we will also look at the lifestyle factors that have led to the injury and help you make modifications as necessary to prevent future instances.
We utilize a variety of different chiropractic techniques, from hands on manual style adjusting, to gentle low-force techniques. Our office also utilizes several forms of traction and decompression depending on your needs and your body type. We will cater a treatment style to suit your body.