Neck pain affects millions of Americans every day. Many hours spent leaning over phones, computers, and steering wheels causes stress on the neck and upper back. Because of this, it’s no surprise that it’s one of the most common complaints we see in our chiropractic patients.
Most Common Causes of Neck Pain in Arvada, Denver, and Wheat Ridge
Neck pain can be caused by work injuries, car accidents, poor posture, and bad workplace ergonomics. Whiplash injuries are also especially common and can often require specialized treatment to ensure proper healing and to avoid chronic pain and stiffness.
The most common cause of neck pain is misaligned bones in the neck and upper back. These misalignments cause muscle tightness, stress ligaments and tendons, and put pressure on spinal nerves. Decades of sitting (at desks, in cars and planes, or on the couch) cause arthritis to set in, which turns into chronic neck pain.
Chronic neck pain can turn into pain, numbness, and tingling that radiates down the shoulders and into the arms and hands. Shooting pain from the neck down the arm and into the hand and fingers is most often a sign of a pinched nerve in the neck. If you are experiencing pain radiating to your fingers, you should see your chiropractor ASAP to determine if you have a disc injury.
Best Treatment for Neck Pain in Arvada, Denver, and Wheat Ridge
Sometimes, neck pain can be relieved with simple lifestyle or workplace changes. Poor posture can also be cause of neck pain and stiffness. Sitting in one position for long periods is the most common culprit. Improving your posture while sitting and standing, using a properly fitted desk chair, and changing positions throughout the workday can help relieve neck pain and stiffness. A cervical or orthopedic pillow when sleeping also helps prevent and manage neck pain. Cervical pillows are often recommended by chiropractors because of the support they provide while sleeping.
If your neck pain doesn’t improve with lifestyle or workplace changes, chiropractic can be just what you need. Be sure to contact your Denver chiropractor or PCP for pain that starts after an injury and especially if you’ve been involved in a car accident.
Dr. James Doran will work with you to determine the cause of your pain and recommend a treatment plan designed just for you that addresses your specific problem.
Much a small cavity turning into a pulled tooth, mild neck and back pain can become more severe if it’s not taken care of right away. If you have pain or stiffness in your neck and need a doctor in the Arvada, Denver, or Wheat Ridge area with decades of experience, contact us today by calling (303) 424-7171, texting (833) 210-3525, or emailing info@ihrdenver.com. Our office offers FREE consultations and are focused on helping our patients live productive and pain-free lives.
Five Ways People in Arvada, Denver, and Wheat Ridge Can Prevent Neck Pain
- Avoid stomach sleeping. This position puts increased stress on muscles, ligaments, and tendons in the neck.
- Use a cervical pillow that provides support for the neck and upper back.
- Choose an ergonomic position when watching television or reading. Even these relaxed activities can increase neck and back pain if you are in the wrong position for too long.
- Make time for to change position when working in one position (both sitting or standing) for longer than 30 to 45 minutes at a time.
- Avoid heavy bags and purses with shoulder straps. As little as 5 or more pounds creates increased stress and strain on the neck and upper back.
What Causes Reoccurring Neck Pain?
Reoccurring aches, pains, and stiffness in the neck and back are signs of a more serious spinal problem. Repeated episodes of cervical (neck) stiffness and soreness are often signs of worsening joint or disc degeneration (arthritis).
If you have any of these symptoms and they are untreated, they can turn into chronic conditions that can become permanent!
How Serious is My Neck Pain?
Often, the symptoms associated with your pain can tell us a lot about the real cause of the pain.
For instance:
- Neck pain that worsens as the day goes on is often a sign of muscular strain, fatigue, or weakness.
- Neck stiffness and pain that is worse in the morning and improves as the day goes on can be the result of arthritis.
- Pain worsened with coughing, sneezing, or when “bearing down” while going to the bathroom can indicate disc involvement. This is a much more serious type of injury.
- Dizziness, light-headedness, or pain that worsens when rotating or flexing and extending the neck is clear evidence of a neck problem.
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms below, you have the symptoms of a serious neck problem. Call our office and schedule a consultation with neck pain specialist before your symptoms progress and become a more serious problem.
Recurring stiff neck
- Constant discomfort in the neck, face, ears, or scalp
- Recurring arm or shoulder pain
- Numbness or tingling in the hands or fingers
- Headache
- Difficulty breathing
- Chest pains
- Dizziness
What Happens to Cause Neck Pain?
There are seven cervical vertebrae in the neck that provide support for the head. These 7 bones are very mobile to allow a wide range of motion that includes forward flexion, backwards extension, and right and left rotation. Downside of having this much mobility is an increase possibility of injury.
Your neck is the highway that the spinal cord uses to communicate between the brain and the rest of the body. This is important because without this connection, the brain can’t coordinate the millions of bodily functions that go on every day. Even minor injuries to the neck will affect the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and vertebrae in this neck. If these injuries are left untreated, they can affect even the most basic of bodily functions. This allows even small neck injuries to turn into serious problems.
Neck pain can be mean there is a serious injury. Before you begin to experience chronic neck pain, spinal degeneration (arthritis) or worse, schedule a FREE consultation with a top Denver Chiropractor today. Take this opportunity to learn about our non-invasive, non-surgical neck pain relief options.
Most Common Causes of Neck Pain
If you’re experiencing neck pain, you’re not alone. Neck pain is one of the most common spinal-related pains to affect people. It’s estimated that 70% of people experience neck pain at some point in their life (HarvardHealth).
There are many reasons that you may be experiencing neck pain. Below are some of the most common:
- Muscle tension
- Poor posture
- Nerve compression
- Worn joints
- Vehicular accidents
- Sports-related injuries
- Degenerative disorders/diseases
Three of the Best Treatments for Neck Pain or Stiffness in Arvada, Denver, and Wheat Ridge
Chronic or recurring neck pain can affect every aspect of our lives. Neck pain can prevent us from going to work, playing with our kids, and enjoying a vacation. When neck pain prevents you from enjoying life, it’s time to see a professional that can find and treat the cause of your pain.
Your personal history of injuries, hobbies, and type of work you do makes your neck pain unique. Because of that, the right treatment plan for your needs may be very different than your neighbors. At Integrative Health and Rehabilitation, we provide different types of treatment for different types of neck pain. Here are the three most common therapies our office provides for neck pain and stiffness.
- Laser Therapy
Low level laser therapy, or LLLT for short, is the latest tested, reliable treatment for neck pain. As the name implies, this therapy relies on lasers to treat your injury.
LLLT stimulates a process called “photobiomodulation,” which increases circulation in the body, It is important to understand that this type of therapy has guaranteed safety, as it is a non-invasive procedure. With LLLT, a single wavelength of light is generated that doesn’t create heat or cause any other disturbances. This improves circulation, relieving pain and inflammation and stimulates tissue healing. LLLT also inhibits pain fibers reducing the pain signals sent from injured tissues
- Acupuncture
Acupuncture has been practiced for centuries with a lengthy history of successfully relieving pain resulting from many conditions. Much like chiropractic, acupuncture affects many different functions in the body, improving the body’s natural ability to heal itself.
Western research shows that the insertion of acupuncture needles increases localized blood flow, bringing oxygen and nutrients to areas that are injured. This increase blood flow also helps reduce inflammation. Inserting acupuncture needles into spasmed or tight muscles causes them to relax. Lastly, inserting acupuncture needle utilizes the “Gate Theory” of pain control. This theory states that pain fibers are either “open” or “closed”, like a gate. Acupuncture needles close those open “pain” gates, preventing pain signals from being sent to the brain.
- Chiropractic Adjustments
While research has convincingly shown that laser therapy and acupuncture can provide effective relief for back and neck pain. However, chiropractic adjustments are arguably the best treatment for people experiencing neck pain.
During your first visit at our office, Dr. Doran will first identify your specific areas of spinal misalignment by taking a thorough history of your complaint and performing a physical exam. Next, a personalized treatment plan will be created to addresses your specific problem. As your care progresses and your condition improves, we will monitor your progress and alter your treatment plan as needed.
Combining These three Treatments to Relieve Your Neck Pain
If you struggle with chronic (or even a new onset) of neck pain, our office can help. Dr. Doran’s office offers many treatments and therapies that can provide long-lasting pain relief. Call (303) 424-7171, text (833) 210-3525, or email info@ihrdenver.com to schedule a FREE consultation to learn the cause of your neck pain and find out how to relieve it.