Hello Edmonton. This is Dr. Mestdagh here again to talk to you about neck pain. Neck pain is a common condition that many people suffer from and seek help from chiropractors or massage therapists or even acupuncturists. We actually offer all three of these therapies at our office. In this post, I will discuss broadly neck pain.
What is Neck Pain?
Might seem like a silly question, so I am going to start with a silly answer. Neck pain is pain that you might feel in your neck. All silliness aside, there is different types of neck pain and they can be from different sources.
Neck pain could be sharp and be a direct result from getting injured such as in a car accident. Neck pain could be a constant dull achy pain that could be from texting with your neck bent all the way forward. Neck pain could be a burning sensation such the deep burning sensation you might get at the bottom of the neck and into the top of your shoulders.
What Causes Neck Pain?
Just as there are many types of neck pain, there are also many causes of neck pain. Broadly, the pain in your neck is going to come from one of 4 different sources. (Yes, there are others but for the sake of simplicity ....)
1) Pressure that builds up inside joints. A joint is a fluid filled sack that connects one bone to another. Mechanical pressure put on the joint is going to cause the joint to swell and lose its ability to move properly. There are nerves going into that joint that will sense the increased pressure and interpret it as being pain.
2) Muscles attach to tendons and then bone and if they are pulling too hard, they are going to give a burning like sensation. If you have ever been sitting in front of a computer too long, you know exactly what this feels like.
3) Ligaments are connective tissue. They connect bones together. If you injure this tissue, say in a car accident, then you start stretching this tissue and set off all of the pain nerves in the tissue. This is the definition of a strain.
4) One of the most serious sources of neck pain are disc injuries. Discs are shock absorbing tissues that connect bones in your spine called vertebrae. Discs can be delicate tissue and when injured will cause a lot of pain not only in your neck, but sometimes down your arm or other areas.
What Can We at Blue Quill Chiropractic Do to Help Neck Pain?
The first and most important part about helping neck pain is figuring out what is the actual source of the neck pain is. Once we have discovered the root cause of the problem, we use our expertise to recommend the best treatment plan that will serve your needs. Treatment options include chiropractic adjustments, Cox Flexion-Distraction Technique, massage therapy, myofascial release, inferential current, acupuncture, examination of changes you can make to your work station or lifestyle, and rehabilitative exercise programs that will help you get out of pain and create strategies to keep you out of pain.
If you or someone you know suffers from neck pain, give our office a call and schedule an appointment and we will set you on the path to creating a better neck!