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People who have neck pain and are looking for Draper upper cervical chiropractors often contact my office in search of hope and relief for their condition. Neck pain is a common problem that can arise from a variety of causes. The good news is that I can help with many of these neck pain cases.
We will all experience neck pain or discomfort at least once in our lives. If you’re reading this, you or a loved one may be suffering from unbearable and seemingly irremediable neck pain. In this article, you will read about the top five causes of neck pain. And toward the end, I’ll give you a natural form of relief, which could be the solution to your lingering problem with neck pain.
So let’s dive right into it, shall we? Here are the five primary causes of neck pain.
Accidents and Injuries
Neck trauma usually happens during vehicular accidents when whiplash occurs. The same thing goes with sports injuries caused by blunt force impacts, whether it’s a football tackle or a hard jab to the head in boxing.
These injuries are due to the forceful and sudden back-and-forth movement of the neck. They mostly affect the soft tissues, causing pain and discomfort.
Osteoarthritis
Because of aging and wear and tear, the many joints in the spine may degrade over time. What happens is the cartilage that protects the end of bones wears thin. As the joints wear down further, more symptoms occur.
Like any bone in the body, the ones in the neck are equally affected. That may cause pain and discomfort in that specific area.
Disc Degeneration
The discs in the spine are between each vertebra to provide some cushion for our movements. They are designed to absorb some of the forces that our body sustains during day-to-day activities.
Without proper movement and nutrition, the discs can begin to wear down. The inner portion of the disc (called the nucleus pulposus) may start to push through the outer fibrous rings.
When this occurs, it can cause extreme pain and irritation of the nearby nerves.
Spinal Stenosis
Stenosis occurs when the canal through which your spinal cord passes narrows down. This can happen as a result of degenerative disc disease, arthritis of the joints, and formation of bone spurs.
Spinal misalignments may cause a narrowing of the spinal cord. This narrowing may affect the bones in your neck, leading to pain and discomfort.
Spinal Misalignments
From the body’s wear and tear comes spinal misalignments and subluxations. When these misalignments happen, the incorrectly-positioned vertebrae irritate the surrounding tissues.
The irritation may lead to muscle spasms, nerve compression or irritation, and pain. In some cases, the pain may be sharp and unbearable, which can be disabling.
The cervical spine must have the right combination of strength and flexibility. It must be strong enough to bear the weight of your head, which in the average adult is approximately 10-12 pounds.
It also requires flexibility to move your head through all of its natural ranges of motion. The neck should be able to move painlessly from side to side, rotate left and right, up and down. It should tilt left and right with ease to bring your ear towards your shoulder.
Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care Explained
Getting to the root cause of your neck pain and discomfort requires a specific and systematic approach. That includes understanding when the pain began and the measures taken to find relief. You must also know whether the pain remains in the neck or radiates to other parts of your body, and what makes it better or worse.
The upper cervical chiropractic approach is unique. We look at the area that is located just beneath the skull and how different it is from the rest of the cervical spine.
The shape of the atlas vertebra, the uppermost bone that supports the weight of the head, is different from the rest of the vertebrae. It allows the freedom of movement of our heads.
Because the atlas has this remarkable range of motion, it is also vulnerable to injury.
Once the atlas misaligns, the head isn’t carried in a neutral position. This puts abnormal stress and strain on the soft tissues of the neck. Ligaments, tendons, and muscles then compensate for the spinal misalignment.
The atlas is also responsible for protecting the brainstem. Once a misalignment on that area occurs, the brainstem endures abnormal pressure.
Pressure on the brainstem from an upper cervical misalignment may distort brain-body signals traveling through the central nervous system. This can lead to numerous other health conditions, including migraines, headaches, TMJ dysfunction, and vertigo. Many of these health conditions also come with neck pain as a symptom.
Natural Neck Pain Relief
Upper cervical chiropractors can identify if any misalignments exist. Using gentle and precise methods, they can encourage the misaligned bones back into their correct positions.
I value my reputation as a reliable Draper upper cervical chiropractor. Here at Source Chiropractic and Wellness, many patients have found relief from their neck pain.
If you need more information or would like to set up a complimentary consultation, you may call me at (385) 237-3110 or fill out our online contact form.
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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