Common Causes of Neck Pain We See in the Clinic
The holidays are upon us and with that can come stress, pressure, anxiety, headaches and neck pain. I have already seen an increase in patients with neck pain coming to the clinic.
A very popular version of neck pain, starts at the base of the skull and runs down the back of the neck to the angle of the shoulder blade. This can lead to headaches and a very limited range of motion.
There are many causes of neck pain
Poor posture – this can lead to a straightening of the cervical spine, a head forward posture or the raising of the shoulders. All of which cause pain in the back of the neck. When your head is too far forward this increases the load to the very small muscles at the base of the skull causing increased tension and pain. These muscles were not intended to carry the entire weight of the head. It is important to put your head back and “stack” the spine. (I will demonstrate this in my Facebook Live shared below).
Osteoarthritis of the cervical spine. As we age and with increased inflammation we can begin to see changes to the integrity and structure of the cervical spine. This may or may not cause pain. I have seen mild arthritis in the neck have lots of pain and severe have no pain. However, the increased inflammation can cause irritation to the nerves, muscles, ligaments etc. that surround the spine. This inflammation and irritation are the causes for pain. In this case, decreasing the inflammation is the key.
Disc Degeneration or Damage. When inflammation goes unchecked and poor posture prevails, added to increased age we see a degradation of the discs between the vertebrae in the neck. The purpose of these discs is to provide shock absorption and mobility to the spine. At this stage we are most concerned with decreasing the inflammation and restore what mobility is still possible within the bounds of structural change.
No matter which of these you are suffering with we can assess and treat your symptoms with laser therapy and manual treatment techniques. When it comes to the neck, the sooner you treat it the better.