Chiropractic solutions for neck pain
Do you suffer from neck pain?
What a pain in the neck it is to have neck pain. When you live with neck pain, you understand why this is true. Undoubtedly, neck pain can make even the simplest of movements involving the neck, head, arms, shoulders, and back excruciatingly painful. It can lead to headaches and difficulty using your body or staying focused at work or school. Because immobility caused by neck pain can cause the muscles to become weak, they tend to degenerate over time. Understanding the cause of your neck pain is a necessary step towards acquiring the treatment that will be effective in both short and long-term recovery.
Common symptoms associated with neck pain usually involve one or more of the following:
- Stiff neck – Soreness and difficulty moving the neck, especially when trying to move the head from side to side.
- Sharp pain – which can be localized to one spot, or it may feel like a stabbing or sting, usually at the lower levels of the neck.
General soreness is mostly in one spot or area on the neck and is described as tender or achy.
Radiating pain from the neck to the shoulders and arms can vary in intensity and pain. It may feel like it’s burning.
Tingling, numbness, or weakness are sensations that extend beyond the neck and radiate to the shoulders, arms, or fingers. One could sense a tingling “pins-and-needles” sensation. Usually, only one arm is affected.
Trouble gripping or lifting objects as a result of tingling, numbness, or weakness in the fingers.
Headaches often accompany irritations in the neck and can also affect muscles and nerves connected to the head. Tension headaches are usually caused by neck muscles tightening, or an occipital nerve pinched in the neck, causing pain to shoot up from the neck to the side of the head and scalp.
If neck pain symptoms progress, sleeping and concentrating during the day can become difficult. It may also interfere with other daily activities, such as getting dressed or going to work, or any activity that involves turning the head, such as driving. Increasing neck pain with associated weakness, numbness, and tingling should be addressed by a chiropractor.
Neck pain typically develops in one of the following ways:
- Slowly over time during the day or as the weeks’ progress
- Immediately following an injury or auto accident.
- Delayed reaction after an injury – hours, days, or months.
- Suddenly without any prior signs.
