Neck Pain & Treatment
Up to 65% of people will experience at least one episode of neck pain this year, and many will struggle with it every day. Neck pain is incredibly common, but it’s not normal.
Understanding what causes your sciatica is the first step to managing it. And yes, it can be managed.
Neck pain affects many parts of your life, like sleeping, driving, exercising, walking, and working, to name a few.
To put it simply: neck pain is inconvenient at best, and debilitating at worst.
We offer mobile chiropractic treatment for neck pain in
Delano, Maple Plain, and the rest of Wright and West Hennepin Counties.
Below we discuss the following common causes of neck pain:
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Neck Sprains & Strains
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Cervical Disc Disorders
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Upper Crossed Syndrome
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Cervical Radiculopathy
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Cervical Facet Syndrome
Neck Sprains & Strains
A cervical strain is an injury to the muscles of the neck, while a cervical sprain is an injury to the ligaments and/or joints of the neck. That said, both have similar pain, symptoms, and causes.
When the body starts getting pain signals from structures, it starts to guard those areas to avoid moving them. This can lead to dysfunctional movement and potential instability.
Common symptoms of cervical sprains and strains include pain with movement of the neck, headaches, and stiffness in the neck.
Cervical sprains and strains can be caused by:
Car accidents and other traumas
Whiplash
Sports injuries, especially in contact sports
Repetitive overuse
Desk work and prolonged sitting
Common risk factors for cervical sprains and strains include:
Slouching and poor posture
History of neck injury
History of neck surgery
Sleeping in an awkward position
Weak or imbalanced neck and shoulder muscles
These strains and sprains can be managed, and they can be avoided.
Dealing with sprains ad strains long-term requires managing tightness and inflammation in the neck while also allowing it to heal.
Treatment for cervical sprains and strains may include:
Chiropractic Adjusting - Cervical adjustments can reduce neck pain, improve mobility, and improve function and control of the neck muscles.
Soft Tissue Mobilization - Assisted stretching techniques, manual therapy, and trigger point work can also help loosen up tight muscles, reducing pain and increasing mobility.
Corrective Exercise - Specific stretches and exercises are used to strengthen weak muscles to reduce risk of sprains and strains, while also relaxing tight and painful muscles.
Lifestyle Changes - Depending on your occupation and daily routine, certain changes may be necessary. These could include standing or walking more, setting up a better workstation for you, or not looking down as much at your phone or tablet.
Cervical Disc Disorders
Throughout your spine, you have vertebrae, the bones of your spine, and intervertebral discs, which are shock absorbers sandwiched between all the vertebrae. Muscles and ligaments attach to the vertebrae and the discs, providing additional structure and support for movement while protecting the spinal cord.
The discs are made up of a tough outer ring called the annulus fibrosus, and a soft, jelly-like inside called the nucleus pulposus. When you hear someone discuss a disc bulge or a disc herniation, they’re talking about these structures.
With a bulge, the inside of the disc starts to push into the outer ring, without pushing all the way through. A herniation occurs when that inner layer does push all the way through, entering the area around the spinal cord. When a herniation occurs, this can create pressure on the spinal cord or spinal nerves, creating low back or sciatic pain, numbness, weakness, or other symptoms in one or both legs.
As we age, our discs dehydrate and degenerate. This is a completely normal aspect of aging. Research shows that many people without pain or other symptoms show signs of spinal and disc degeneration on MRIs.
But, in some cases, bulges, herniations, or other injuries can create pain and other issues, like the disc bulges and herniations we described above.
Common causes of cervical disc disorders include:
Trauma, like a car accident
Overuse and fatigue
Prolonged poor posture
Degenerative disc disease
Symptoms of cervical disc disorders can show up suddenly after an injury, or the symptoms can worsen gradually over time without any specific cause or event. These symptoms can include:
Pain in the neck and shoulders
Pain that’s worse with movement
Numbness and tingling in the arms and hands
Weakness in the shoulders, arms, and hands
Headaches
A conservative approach is generally the best place to start when dealing with cervical disc issues, though your specific treatment plan will be based on your clinical presentation and symptoms.
The major goal when addressing disc disorders is to reduce or centralize any radiating arm pain while decreasing inflammation. After the pain is reduced and we’re out of the woods, creating proper neck control and stability to avoid reinjury is essential.
Treatment plans can include directional preference exercises to relieve pain, stabilization exercises to promote proper movement and biomechanics, soft tissue mobilization, and gentle spinal adjusting to increase mobility while reducing pain. Lifestyle factors, including movement and proper posture, are also important for managing your cervical disc issue.
If you don’t respond well to conservative care, or if the symptoms of your disc issue are severe enough or worsen throughout treatment, a surgical consult may be necessary. A key factor to responding well to conservative care is sticking to the treatment, plan, including the lifestyle and exercise recommendations.
Upper Crossed Syndrome
Upper Crossed Syndrome is a common muscle imbalance.
With typical slouching posture and looking down at our phones, our midback and neck flexor muscles get weak, while the muscles of our chest and at the base of our skull get tight.
This creates a chronically slouched posture, neck and shoulder pain, and mobility changes throughout the upper body.
Common causes of Upper Crossed Syndrome are:
Certain occupations, especially desk and office jobs
Slouching and poor posture
Looking down at phones, tablets, or books for a long time; “Tech Neck”
Weightlifting, focusing too much on the chest and too little on the back
Symptoms of Upper Crossed Syndrome include:
Pain in the neck and shoulders
Headaches
Difficulty sitting, reading, or driving
Limited range of motion in the neck, arms, and shoulders
Numbness and tingling in the arms and hands
Upper Crossed Syndrome can be treated and prevented.
With the right education and treatment, Upper Crossed Syndrome can be stopped before it causes symptoms.
Some lifestyle changes to prevent and manage Upper Crossed Syndrome include sitting with good posture, moving frequently throughout the day, and having a workstation set up specifically for you.
And if you already have symptoms, early treatment and intervention can correct these issues. Chiropractic adjusting, soft tissue mobilization, and targeted exercises can loosen tight tissues and strengthen weak muscles to correct the imbalances associated with Upper Crossed Syndrome.
Cervical Radiculopathy
Cervical radiculopathy occurs when the nerve roots coming out of your spinal cord get compressed or squished, making them irritated and causing pain to travel down the arm.
There are a number of things that can cause cervical radiculopathy, including:
Osteoarthritis/Degenerative Disc Disease of the cervical spine
Cervical disc herniation
Trauma to the neck, like whiplash
Sports injuries, especially in collision sports like hockey and football
Risk factors for developing Cervical Radiculopathy include:
Occupations requiring heavy manual labor and lifting more than 25 lbs
Smoking
Driving for extended periods or operating heavy machinery
Prior injury to the neck
Symptoms of Cervical Radiculopathy include:
Pain in the neck traveling down to the shoulder, arm, and/or hand
Pain ranging from a dull ache to a severe burning sensation
Pain relieved by lifting arm over your head
Shooting or electrical pain down the arm and hand
Numbness, tingling, or pins and needles in the arm and hand
Weakness in the shoulder, arm, and hand
Cervical Radiculopathy is manageable.
The major goal when addressing cervical radiculopathy is to reduce or centralize your radiating arm pain. After the pain is reduced and we’re out of the woods, creating proper neck control and stability to avoid reinjury is essential.
Treatment plans can include directional preference exercises to relieve pain, stabilization exercises to promote proper movement and biomechanics, soft tissue mobilization, and gentle spinal adjusting to increase mobility while also reducing pain.
Lifestyle factors are also important for managing your cervical disc issue. Using proper posture, sleeping on a good pillow, and avoiding positions or activities that make the pain significantly worse all may be things to consider.
If you don’t respond well to conservative care, or if the symptoms are severe enough or worsen throughout treatment, a surgical consult may be necessary. A key factor to responding well to conservative care is sticking to the treatment plan, including lifestyle and exercise recommendations.
Cervical Facet Syndrome
Cervical Facet Syndrome is involved in up to 65% of cases of neck pain.
In your neck, there are small joints on the backside called facet joints, which help with rotational and bending movements of the spine while limiting how much the vertebrae can slide or translate from side to side. These joints are highly innervated and can be sensitive to problems in and around the joint.
When you extend your neck (like when looking up at the ceiling), you push these facet joints together. If they get pushed together too often or too hard, they can get irritated and inflamed, limiting motion and creating pain.
Common causes of Cervical Facet Syndrome are:
Trauma, like a car accident or whiplash
Sports injuries
Poor posture, like looking down at a phone or tablet; “Tech Neck”
Degenerative Disc Disease or other Cervical Disc Disorder
Symptoms of Cervical Facet Syndrome include:
Dull, aching neck pain
Pain is worse when looking up or looking up and back
Headaches
Limited range of motion in the neck, or moving your whole body to look around
Stiffness that is worse in the morning or with extended inactivity
How We Take Care Of Cervical Facet Syndrome
With any condition we see, we take the time to develop a care plan specifically for you and your needs.
For Cervical Facet Syndrome, this might include:
Chiropractic Adjusting - Cervical adjustments can reduce neck pain, improve mobility, and improve function and control of the neck muscles.
Soft Tissue Mobilization - Assisted stretching techniques, manual therapy, and trigger point work can also help loosen up tight muscles, reducing pain and increasing mobility.
Corrective Exercise - Specific stretches & exercises are used to strengthen weak muscles to take pressure off the facet joints, while also relaxing tight and painful muscles.
Lifestyle Changes - Depending on your occupation and daily routine, certain changes may be necessary. These could include avoiding extending your neck until the pain improves, setting up a better workstation for you, or not looking down as much at your phone or tablet.
At Northbound Chiropractic, we work with you to find the cause of your neck pain and create an individualized treatment plan targeting your specific problems.
We’ll make a plan with you to get lasting results, so you can continue doing the things you love.