Neck Pain, Neck Ache, Neck Injury, Neck Trauma, Neck Alignment, text neck, texting Neck pain is extremely common and can occur anywhere throughout the neck, from the base of your skull to the area where the neck meets your upper back.  Severe neck pain can be associated with a myriad of other symptoms such as headaches, jaw pain, and shoulder problems.

Habits That Bring Neck Pain

Do you have any of the following habits that might be contributing to your condition?

  1. Poor sleep habits.  Sleeping on a pillow that is either too tall or too flat or sleeping on your stomach with your neck twisted to one side can injure the tissues of the neck.
  2. Carrying your head in an awkward or forward position for extended periods of time.  Be aware when reading, working on the computer, or talking on the telephone about how you are holding your head.
  3. Propping your head up with your hand or fist for long periods of time.  This can affect your neck, as well as your jaw.

While these causes of neck pain are extremely common, there are many other possibilities as well.  Regardless of why your neck hurts, typical relief such as pain medications will only cover up the symptoms and provide temporary relief.

 

Correcting the Cause of Neck Pain

The neck is made up of 7 vertebrae of your spine, as well as muscles, ligaments, and tendons that hold everything together and allow for normal movement.  When the bones of the spine shift out of normal alignment, this can lead to muscle strain or spasm and eventually pain and discomfort.  The atlas vertebra, which sits at the very top of the neck and supports the weight of the head, has the most range of motion of all the bones in the spine.  It lacks features that make the rest of the spine inherently more stable.  Because of this, the atlas is often the first vertebra to misalign, causing the rest of the spine below it to shift in order to compensate.

Upper cervical chiropractic is a branch of the profession that focuses on ensuring the atlas is properly aligned.  Not only will restoring normal atlas alignment result in better, easier neck movement, it will also allow the body to heal damaged tissues more efficiently by taking pressure off nerves that contribute to the healing process.

 

To schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Cheney, call our Draper office at 385-331-7035. You can also click one of the buttons below.

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If you are outside of the local area you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com