Neck Pain
Neck pain is a serious problem affecting millions of Americans. It is a top reason people seek chiropractic care. Our Albuquerque Chiropractors have helped over 50,000 patients overcome neck pain for the past three decades.
Neck pain is often the start of more serious problems like arm and hand numbness, arthritis, and even sleep problems. If left uncared for, it can create serious health and financial challenges the longer you allow it to go uncared for. Often times people try to eliminate it on their own with drugs or medications. Perhaps even worse, they just ignore it altogether. Simply masking or ignoring the problem is what often leads to more serious long term pain and problems. Prolonged neck pain can affect overall health and quality of life as it can limit your range of motion which is a direct cause of arthritis.
Neck pain is also linked to headaches, sleep problems, thyroid issues, and hand and arm numbness. The chiropractors at Albuquerque Accident Injury use state of the art technology to find the source of the functional problem in your spine. We then use gentle and effective chiropractic techniques to restore normal function to your spine and alleviate the problem. Our focus is always to get you back to living your best life possible.
Types of Neck Pain
There are several types of neck pain, but the most common types are acute and chronic. The symptoms are evident through pain that comes and goes, creates constant pain, or radiating pain or numbness that you feel down into your arms or hands.
Acute – Patients with acute neck pain often improve on their own through self-care and addressing the cause of neck pain. If acute neck pain does not improve within a few weeks, you can consider non-drug therapies, such as chiropractic care.
Chronic – Neck pain is considered chronic when it persists for one month or longer. Long-term use of pain medication usually does not improve functioning for patients with chronic pain. Studies have shown that natural therapies, including chiropractic care, prove beneficial in relieving neck pain. Psychological and social factors also contribute to chronic neck pain. Most patients with chronic neck pain will not become pain-free, so care should be more focused on managing or reducing painful symptoms and improving functions.
Symptoms of Neck Pain
Most people will experience the following symptoms:
- Muscle spasms
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Neck stiffness
- Pain in the upper-back
- Pain in the shoulders
- Sensitivity of neck to touch and pressure
- Headaches
Causes of Neck Pain
There are several possible causes for cervical pain. If left untreated, neck pain can get more serious. Neck pain can possibly be a sign of another condition. This is why it is important to seek professional help for proper diagnosis. Our Albuquerque Chiropractors have decades of experience diagnosing patients and determining the proper chiropractic care.
Muscle Strains and Sprains
This is the most common cause of neck pain for people. Repeating the same movements of your neck can strain and harm the bones and nerves in your neck. By continuously repeating those movements, it will only worsen. Even little tasks can pose as a threat to bones and nerves in the neck.
- Prolonged awkward neck position- This is common among people who use mobile devices
- Poor posture- If your head is tilted forward for longer periods of time, this puts a lot of strain on the neck muscles, tendons, and ligaments, which eventually cause pain
- Sport injury- Neck pain can be caused by a sport injury resulting from a fall or collision or fall during sports activities
- Whiplash- This is caused by a forceful and sudden movement of the neck forward and backward the neck and head, which can result in soft tissue rupture or tear
- Sleeping in wrong position- Waking up with neck pain is the result of sleeping in uncomfortable position
- Repetitive movements- Turning your head in a repetitive motion can lead to pain
Stress
When you are stressed, you become tensed and your blood pressure and heart rate rise, flooding your body with stress hormones that tighten your muscles. When you are constantly stressed, the chronic tension causes your muscles to become sore and weak. Regular chiropractic, regular exercises and relaxation exercises, such as deep breathing, to destress your mind and body.
Vertebral Subluxation
The International Chiropractors Association defines vertebral subluxation as the stress response when spinal bones suffer from improper motion or position, which affects nerve communications between the brain and the body. When there is a disruption, misalignment or abnormal separation in the position of the vertebrae, it results in debilitating neck pain and inflammation.
Cervical Herniated Disc
A cervical herniated disc does not always mean that you are going to suffer from neck pain. There are people with herniated or bulging disc who don’t suffer from any painful symptoms. However, there are cases when the cervical herniated disc pinches or presses against a cervical nerve, causing intense and excruciating pain that frequently radiates to other parts of the body.
Cervical Degenerative Disc Disease
As we age, the spinal discs degenerate and lose hydration and the ability to cushion the spinal vertebrae, causing irritation and pain.
Chiropractic Care for Neck Pain in Albuquerque
For most people, pain goes away on its own after a few days or weeks. But for some, the neck pain becomes chronic and debilitating and lasts for months or years. Our Albuquerque Chiropractors help alleviate neck pain and improve mobility through safe and gentle chiropractic care. At Albuquerque Accident Injury, we also help educate our patients about proper posture, stress management and overall lifestyle modifications to avoid neck pain.
Comprehensive Exam- We carry out a thorough examination of your neck and entire spine to determine the best approach for your neck pain. During the examination, we will check your posture and identity the areas of restricted movement.
Comprehensive and Individualized Treatment Plan- After a careful and thorough assessment of your neck and entire spine and identifying the source of your pain, our Chiropractors will put together a comprehensive and individualized chiropractic plan that is designed to alleviate painful symptoms of your condition.
Spinal Adjustments- Spinal manipulations relieve pressure on the nervous system, promote spinal health and improve overall health. These adjustments are especially beneficial for providing relief from neck pain.
