Your Guide to Neck Pain: Part 1
Have you been dealing with neck pain? Maybe a dull ache or sharp & stabby pain that won’t seem to go away?It is very common with over 50% of Americans experiencing it in a given year.
In this post we will be going over mechanical neck pain ( the most common type). If you are interested in learning about neck pain with symptoms into the arms or hands, we will be covering that later in the month
Common concerns that we will cover:
What causes neck pain?
Can neck pain be a sign of something serious?
What is the BEST way to treat neck pain?
Common Causes
Roughly 90% of Americans will experience or deal with neck pain this year.
Neck pain itself has a variety of causes, they include:
>Muscle Spasm
>Facet (joint) Irritation
> Whiplash Injury (either from an auto accident or sport)
> Osteoarthritis
> Flare up of a previous or chronic injury
Should you be worried?
The majority of neck pain (around 90%) can be labeled as “nonspecific” what that means is that no pathology or disease is causing it. In order to best determine that something more sinister isn’t going on you’ll need a provider that will perform quality physical exam in order to rule out the “scary stuff”
Best treatments for Neck Pain
Each person has different needs and goals. Our approach is a custom mix of hands on and active treatment that is most specific to your needs.Treatments we use in our office include:
o Adjustments (spinal manipulation)- to restore spinal motion
o Soft tissue therapy (myofascial release, to heal muscles)
o Decompression (to create proper disc space in your spine)
o Dry needling (to reduce muscle spasm and trigger points)
o Exercise therapy (to create stability and endurance for long term results)
o Spinal Traction (low force distraction to increase joint space)
Summary
Neck pain has a variety of causes and it is important to have it checked out by a professional. If you have any questions about your specific neck pain, feel free to schedule with one of our providers or reach out to the office.
