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​Neck anatomy is a well-engineered structure of bones, nerves, muscles, ligaments and tendons. The cervical spine (neck) is delicate—housing the spinal cord that sends messages from the brain to control all aspects of the body—while also remarkably strong and flexible, allowing movement in all directions.

The neck begins at the base of the skull and through a series of seven vertebral segments connects to the thoracic spine (the upper back). With its complex and intricate construct, and the many stresses and forces that can be placed on it through a trauma or even just daily activities, the cervical spine is at risk for developing a number of painful conditions.
  • Symptoms of Neck Pain
  • Types of Neck Pain
  • Causes of Neck Pain
  • Neck Degeneration: Bone Spurs and Neck Osteoarthritis
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Neck pain can feel like any of the following:In some cases, other symptoms associated with the neck pain are even more problematic, such as:
  • Tingling, numbness, or weakness that radiates into the shoulder, arms, or fingers
  • Trouble with gripping or lifting objects
  • Problems with walking, balance, or coordination
  • Loss of bladder or bowel control
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Neck pain might be minor and easily ignored, or it can be excruciating to the point where it interferes with important daily activities, such as sleep. The pain might be short-lived, come and go, or become constant. While not common, neck pain can also be a signal of a serious underlying medical issue, such as meningitis, or cancer.

​Early intervention is necessary for the best results.
  • Acute Neck Pain. Pain that lasts less than 4 weeks.
  • Subacute Neck Pain. Pain that lasts 4 to 12 weeks.
  • Chronic Neck Pain. Pain that lasts 3 or more months.
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Acute neck pain: A specific cause is usually a sprain or strain of the joints in the neck  with involvement of the soft tissues, tendons, ligaments. muscles. The pain will often go away very quickly if given treatment early on, reducing inflammation and further trauma to the neck, retuning you to your life and usual activities in just a few weeks.

Subacute Neck Pain: A larger problem, often this is the result of untreated injury or a more severe injury.  Where an injury goes untreated the body will make a compensation for the loss of range of motion, and  to avoid pain.  The result being that the pain may reduce but the body simply avoids using the injured area.  We then loose more range of motion, become weak and pain my progress into the shoulder or arm or cause headaches.  This is when nerves that exit from the neck to pass down the arms or up to the head are being compressed or irritated.  This is a more serious  condition that will require treatment immediately.  A course of care would be given over the 6-12 week period.   Initially treatment is frequent but it reduced over a few weeks, until the issue is resolved.  We then would encourage you to consider a wellness care option to keep your spine functioning well all the time.
 
Chronic Neck Pain While it’s most common for chronic cervical pain to be from spinal degeneration associated with aging or natural wear and tear from years of daily activities, the amount of symptoms you experience is directly in relation to the ability for the neck to remain mobile through all its segments.  It is when the person looses this mobility that pain and stiffness become bothersome .  This loss of mobility can be reduced markedly by ensuring that chiropractic care is delivered early in the process and with a maintenance or wellness based approach to care.  Where the patient would have care semi regularly to keep the neck functionally well therefore reducing pain and stiffness.  Allowing you to get on with your life and activities.

 It is possible for this process  of  degeneration to be accelerated by an injury. For instance, an injury to a joint in the neck could cause arthritis to develop sooner.
The most common causes of neck pain--strains and sprains—heal within a few days or weeks. A strain is when a muscle or tendon has been irritated by overuse or overextension. Similarly, a sprain is when a ligament has been irritated by overuse or overextension.
For more information, see Neck Strain: Causes and Remedies

Common causes of neck strains and sprains include:
  • Sleeping in wrong position. Often referred to as a “crick” in the neck, a person might wake up in the morning with neck pain due to sleeping in an awkward or atypical position that overextended the neck. See Best Pillows for Different Sleeping Positions
  • Sports injury. A person could move the neck suddenly and/or in an unusual way in a new sport, or a player could have a collision or fall. A common sports collision injury is a stinger, which happens when nerves in the neck/shoulder are impacted and pain, numbness, and weakness can radiate down the shoulder, arm, and hand.
  • Poor posture. Whether it’s at work, home, and/or commuting, poor posture can lead to neck problems. If a person’s head is often tilted forward for long periods of time, then the neck’s muscles, tendons, and ligaments need to work harder. Poor posture can be problematic during any number of activities, including working at a computer, watching TV, riding the train, reading a book, gardening, and more. Text neck, for example, is an increasingly common problem that develops in anyone who spends hours looking down at the phone while texting.
  • Repetitive motions. Turning the head in a repetitive manner, such as side to side while dancing or swimming, may lead to overuse of the neck’s muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
  • Holding the head in unusual position. Anything that requires holding the head in an unusual way for long periods of time could cause neck strains and sprains. Some examples include having a long conversation while cradling a phone between the head and shoulder, or spending an afternoon looking up at an air show.
  • Whiplash. In a whiplash injury, the head and neck are forced suddenly forward and immediately backward with a great deal of force. The soft tissues along and near the cervical spine can be torn or ruptured as a result. This type of injury commonly occurs in an auto accident that involves a rear-end collision.
​Bone spurs (medically known as osteophytes) are smooth structures that can grow on bones and cause enlargement of joints, such as the small, stabilizing facet joints that are located between and behind the adjacent cervical vertebrae. Bone spurs tend to occur in adults over 60 years of age, these spurs can cause compression of the nerves in the neck causing pain in the neck arms and upper back.  Chiropractors can help you manage these symptoms, and give you advice on sleeping, exercise, nutrition that may help you