Everybody in their lifetime has had a moment when their neck has bothered them. Maybe it’s because they slept wrong on it or moved their head too quickly. They could be really stressed out so they hold a lot of tension in their neck.
Whatever the cause may be, it’s safe to say it’s not comfortable. For some the pain is short, only lasting a couple of minutes or hours. For others, the neck pain goes on for days, or weeks, and stops them from living their day-to-day life.
Here at the Cianci Chiropractic Center, we’ve seen it all when it comes to neck pain and we’re here to help you better identify what’s causing your neck pain.
Symptoms of Neck Pain
The most obvious symptom when it comes to neck pain is pain, aching or an uncomfortableness in the neck, mostly located towards the skull. However, other symptoms can come along with neck pain or can be a sign that there might be an underlying problem with your neck such as:
- A stiff neck. It may be hard to move your neck at all, especially side to side.
- Headaches. A sore neck can easily radiate pain up into your skull, causing an achy headache.
- Soreness. It may not be a stiff neck but just under it. A general feeling that something is out of sorts.
- Sharp, shooting pains. You’ll get these kinds of pain if there’s a specific area of the neck that is hurt.
- Radicular pain. This pain is specific to a nerve and will cause a searing or burning pain that can sometimes then lead to a numb feeling in the shoulder and arm.
Causes of Neck Pain
Neck pain can be caused by many things. For example, a common cause of a stiff neck is accidentally sleeping in the wrong position. If your neck is not supported the way it should be at night, you’ll end up paying for it in the morning.
Another common cause of neck pain has to do with injuries which include strained muscles. Overuse of muscles, especially in the neck, can lead to fatigue and achy pain.
A common way this pain is caused is by sitting with your neck hunched over looking at a computer all day. Bad posture also plays a role in this as your neck and your spine are one unit.
There are also situations of sports injuries or, more commonly, car accidents. Whiplash is a common injury that people get from being rear-ended and can cause severe discomfort and a severe lack of mobility in the neck for weeks, sometimes even months.
And even this list doesn’t cover every condition or situation that could cause neck pain. There are also degenerative diseases that can lead to degradation of the joints in the neck, for example.
Preventing Neck Pain
Preventing neck pain is pretty straightforward in the general sense. Here are some common practices one can do at home to prevent neck pain or injury.
- Aim to have good posture. Having good posture will allow your spine and neck to stay aligned and lessen the chance of hurt nerves or slipped discs.
- Get a supportive pillow. A good pillow will go a long way in making sure your neck is supported for the other half of the day you’re not moving.
- Set up regular chiropractic visits. Going to a chiropractor regularly helps make sure everything from your neck down to your toes is healthy and aligned for the best movements all day long.
- Regular exercise. It’s something that sounds like it fixes everything, but regular exercise helps keeps your joints and muscles moving and in shape. Yoga is a great choice of practice.
Schedule an Appointment With Us Today
Neck pain shouldn’t stop you from living the life you want. With years of experience, schedule your appointment with Cianci Chiropractic today and get your neck pain under control and your life back on track.