Neck Pain (Cervical GIA)

Neck pain is a common complaint. Neck muscles can be strained from poor posture — whether it's leaning over your computer or hunching over your workbench. Osteoarthritis also is a common cause of neck pain. Rarely, neck pain can be a symptom of a more serious problem. Neck pain can be accompanied by numbness or loss of strength in your arms or hands and can cause shooting pain into your shoulder or down your arm.

SOME OF THE MOST COMMON CAUSES OF NECK PAIN:

• Mechanical neck pain. This is the most common cause of neck pain. You may also hear it being described as a “cervical strain” or a pulled muscle. Usually, there will be no damage to the neck. Although there are many causes of mechanical neck pain, most cases will be because of sitting bad postures which can create stress through the neck.
• Whiplash injuries. This is frequently seen in those in car accidents and who have been hit in the head (e.g. collision with an object or person). These are what we call “acceleration-deceleration” injuries because they involve a sudden change in speed, where the neck moves very quickly in one direction and then again in the opposite. Symptoms often occur shortly after the injury and include reduced neck range of movement, pain along the back of your neck, and headaches. This type of neck pain can be frequently accompanied by numbness and tingling or radiating pain into the shoulder or arm and hand.
• Cervical osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis in the cervical spine causes excessive friction in the neck’s facet joints, leading to neck pain and stiffness. Additionally, cervical osteoarthritis can cause bone spurs to develop, which may cause headaches at the base of the skull and nerve root pain in the shoulders, arms, or hands
• Cervical degenerative disc disease. A common cause of chronic neck pain is the degeneration, or wear-and-tear, on a cervical spinal disc. Cervical disc degeneration typically causes a low-level chronic neck pain and intermittent episodes of more severe pain and instability.
• Cervical herniated disc. If a disc in the cervical spine bulges or leaks from the disc space, it can cause inflammation and irritation of the surrounding joints, muscles, or nerve roots. Cervical disc herniation typically causes neurological pain in the shoulders and arms, as well as mild to moderate pain and stiffness in the neck.

Chiropractic treatment focuses on utilizing spinal manipulative therapy (SMT), or more commonly known as the chiropractic adjustment, to reduce joint restrictions or misalignments in the spine and other joints in the body in an effort to reduce inflammation and improve function of both the affected joint and nervous system. Our doctors may also utilize physical therapy, therapeutic modalities, taping and strapping, nutrition, joint supports, exercises and home therapy regimens to quicken recovery. Treatment is safe, non-invasive, and a non-addictive alternative to prescription medications or over-the-counter pain medications. By increasing joint mobility and improving your nervous system function and spinal health, your body has the ability to better manage symptoms caused by neck pain.

To see if chiropractic care is right for your condition, the highly trained doctors at Chiropractic Orthopedic Associates will perform a consultation, examination and if necessary, refer you out for diagnostic imaging such as x-ray or MRI. Based on the findings of our chiropractic exam and consultation, your doctor of chiropractic may elect to co-treat your low back pain with other healthcare professionals. We work with a network of healthcare providers that specialize in pain management, orthopedics, neurology, internal medicine, physiatry, neurosurgery and more.