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What to do About Neck Pain

February 14th, 2009 | Add a Comment

The Importance of The Neck

The neck region has the vast responsibility of fully supporting the head. In order to do this it must remain strong and flexible withstanding a life time of abuse. Whether one sits at a computer or stands for hours at a time; all of these routine positions can eventually strain or damage the neck. As stress on the neck is increased sublimation can begin to work its way down to the shoulders and back. The repetitive motions that we make on a day to day basis are often the root causes of our neck pain. Other people suffer with neck pain due to straining, age, accidents, falls or even an injury to the head.

Complaints of neck pain are often labeled with more than one diagnosis. Some of the terms used may be degenerative disc disease, neck strain, whiplash, herniated disc, or a pinched nerve.

Critical to Good Health

The neck structure is made up of seven vertebrae. These vertebrae or small bones that surround the spinal cord have small discs in the middle. The discs are comprised of soft tissue that acts a soft buffer to avoid shock to the spine. Extremely close to these discs, lie the nerves of the neck.

If a disc ruptures or herniates; it creates a bulge that forces excessive pressure onto the nerves in the vertebrae. Sometimes a bulged disc may cause pain or inflammation that causes pain in the arm and weakness or tingling in the afflicted part of the body.

This list will emphasize how many different tissues are affected by the nerves and muscles of the neck:

Arteries Veins Lymph glands Thyroid gland Parathyroid glands Esophagus Larynx Trachea

Because of the far-reaching effects, it’s easy to see how neck pain can serve as a warning signal that one would do well to heed.

Allowing the Body to Heal Itself

One of the greatest benefits to using a chiropractor is that a chiropractor will manipulate the body so that it can begin to actually heal itself. Not only can they diagnose specific problems or injuries, they can take the first steps to reversing the damage. The manipulation they do returns normal motion to the spine. Long term lack of motion is what causes pain and once functions of normal mobility return the patient will see significant results. The muscles of the neck will relax and the discomfort will slowly fade away as the body begins to heal itself.

Chiropractors are uniquely trained to treat the body as a ‘whole’. Although a chief complaint may be neck pain; chiropractors will take related issues such as poor posture and unhealthy repetitive motion into consideration and help the patient learn ways to reduce the stress on their bodies. The knowledge and insight they can give allows a person to experience a pain-free future.

Neck pain is highly debilitating and can disrupt your normal day to day routines. The truth is that there is no reason to continue to suffer and a chiropractor may be the perfect place to begin looking for the relief you need.

About the Author:

Dr. Robert D. Walcher D.C. is a graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic West located in San Jose, California. He is the proud founder and owner of Personalized Chiropractic located in Pacific Beach. Are you ready to feel better and to enjoy optimum health? To visit Dr. Walcher Click Here