Why does my neck hurt all the time?
There are obvious causes of neck pain, such as acute injury (whiplash, sports, falls, etc.), but far MORE COMMON and less obvious is our modern-day lifestyles contributing to chronic neck pain.
We sit—a lot.
We stare down at computer screens, cell phones, and tablets.
Americans are averaging four hours a day looking down at their phones!
Seems innocent enough, doesn’t it?
Unfortunately, our spinal mechanics are not designed for this type of chronic abuse to the joints, nerves, and surrounding soft tissues. As you can see from the graphics below, if not addressed, your posture over time will begin to degrade, causing your head to shift forward and your upper back to start rounding and hunching. This adds tremendous stress to your spinal joints, ligaments, and nerves, which can lead to chronic neck pain and disability.
Many people experience neck pain at one time or another. Neck pain can have many causes, including:
- Poor Postural Habits: As described above, poor postural habits and repetitive postures (e.g., desk/computer work) causes what is known as a “microtrauma,” which adds up over time, putting the spine, joints, muscles, and nerves under significant stress. Over time, this can lead to degradation of posture, chronic pain, and degenerative changes.
- Degenerative Disc Disease: Abnormal mechanics will lead to wear and tear in your spine over time, creating bone spurs and disc damage.
- Herniated Discs: A ruptured disc due to abnormal wear or injury can press on your spinal nerves, causing pain in your neck and limbs.
- Inflammatory Arthritis: Diseases like rheumatoid arthritis can lead to swelling, stiffness, and neck pain.
- Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorders: Dysfunction in your temporomandibular joint, which is a joint in your jaw, can cause severe neck pain and head pain.
- Soft Tissue Trauma: Injuries such as whiplash causing ligament sprains, joint instability, and muscle strains can lead to chronic neck pain.
Complimentary Neck Pain Consultation
We’d love to meet you for a 15-20 minute session with a doctor to get your story, conduct any preliminary tests, and see if we can help you. If so, great, if not, we’ll help you find the place that can.
Studies suggest that 60–70% of all adults will experience neck pain at some point in their lives. At any given time, 10–20% of the adult population is dealing with some type of neck pain.
While some people can manage their neck pain and maintain an active lifestyle, others aren’t so lucky. If you’re suffering from neck pain that prevents you from working or simply enjoying life, know that you’re not alone. Neck and back pain are two of the most common conditions leading to chronic pain and disability, which readily respond to chiropractic care.
- Neck pain has an annual prevalence rate exceeding 30% among adults in the US; nearly 50% of individuals will continue to experience some degree of chronic neck pain or frequent occurrences.¹¹
- Among adults, 20% to 70% will experience neck pain that interferes with their daily activities during their lifetime.⁷
7 Medicine (Baltimore) (2017;20); 11Mayo Clinic Proceedings (2015;2)
*Chronic neck pain is the 4th leading cause of disability globally (low back pain is #1 and headaches are #6).
How Our Neck Pain Care Plan Works
1. Real Answers
You have a story and we want to hear it. We want to understand you. If we feel we can help, we’ll complete a very detailed exam–unlike anything you’ve done anywhere else to get to the root of the problem.
2. Real Solutions
Once we’ve gotten to the bottom of things–the root cause–we’ll tailor-make a program of care first to stop the damage and turn things around, then continue to move your health and function in a constructive direction.
3. Real Life
At the end of the day, you want your quality of life back. Better. Stronger. Healthier. We desire to help you achieve the life that God has called you to–getting you back to your sense of purpose and joy.
How We Treat Neck Pain in Mount Dora, FL
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
The doctor and team will first do a consultation and preliminary neck pain evaluation (complimentary) to ensure you’re in the right place and that we believe we can help you. If so, we’ll dive much deeper into your condition and how it affects your life. Once we understand you clearly, we’ll thoroughly examine your spine and nervous system utilizing chiropractic, functional, and neurologic testing to find the root cause of your neck pain.
CBCT (3D Panoramic X-ray) and Motion Study X-rays
Once we’ve determined that you are, in fact, a good candidate for care and that we can help you, we will likely need to take precise forms of imaging to pinpoint the problem (unless you are pregnant). We want to get a good look at the curve of the spine, the alignment (or lack thereof), any degenerative changes, contraindications to care, and ultimately, find out EXACTLY what we need to help you get better and relieve your neck pain.
Specific Chiropractic Care in Mount Dora, FL
Our family-oriented practice in Mount Dora provides a very specific and unique form of chiropractic care that is precise, extremely effective, and very gentle. In fact, there is no twisting or “cracking” of your neck. Utilizing a form of care known as Blair Upper Cervical, which focuses on the top two bones in the neck, where your head and neck come together, tends to yield uncommon results due to the neurological influence of this critical area of your spine. We add a supportive type of adjusting for the rest of your spine known as TRT (Torque Release Technique). This is also an exact and effective yet gentle instrument-based technique that produces excellent results.
When the joints of your spine are misaligned, it puts pressure on the joints and, more importantly, on your nervous system. A misalignment of the spine—known as a subluxation—may cause pain but also can affect your global health. The goal of your specific adjustments is to reduce the subluxations, taking pressure off of your spine and nervous system so that your body can self-heal the way it was created to.
Custom Therapeutic Exercise Plan
Depending on your particular case, we will design a custom rehab/exercise plan to help you recover quicker and, most importantly, attain lasting results. Your unique exercise plan aims to help restore global spinal imbalances, address muscle weakness, increase range of motion, improve your posture and reduce your neck pain. We also aim to keep it simple—so you can do it quickly at home.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I should see a chiropractor for neck pain?
If you have unresolved neck pain that hasn’t responded to other treatments or home care, getting a proper chiropractic spinal evaluation would be prudent. Also, if you have accompanying headaches, dizziness, upper back or shoulder pain, or muscle tension, these are red flags for spinal/structural issues best addressed by a great chiropractor.
Is a massage or chiropractic better for neck pain?
Both are great but serve different purposes. Massage primarily focuses on the soft tissues (muscles, fascia), improving circulation, and reducing stress, whereas chiropractic focuses on the neuro-structural system (the spinal joints and adjacent nerves). Because a chiropractic adjustment affects the nervous system, it will also directly affect muscle tension. Massage is a wonderful compliment to chiropractic care, but not a replacement for it.
What can I do in the meantime to relieve my neck pain?
If possible, we recommend avoiding pain medications for your neck pain unless absolutely necessary. Instead, utilize cold packs to reduce inflammation around the joints, nerves, and muscles (10-15mins every hour as needed to the affected area). You can alternate heat and cold but end with cold. Stay well hydrated—approximately half your body weight in ounces of water. Try to stay mobile; non-painful mobility is beneficial for joint health and flushing out inflammation. These tips will help with your neck pain symptoms until the cause is corrected.
How should I sleep with neck pain?
The best posture to sleep in, neck pain or not, is on your back with support under your neck. There are some contoured pillows that are good (some are terrible)—we recommend the Killapilla—or simply roll a small towel to put under your neck. Also, put a pillow under your knees to help achieve a more neutral spinal posture. If on your side, it’s important to have just the right amount of pillow height so that your head is not tilted up or down, which will only irritate your joints.
Does a chiropractic adjustment hurt?
No, a chiropractic adjustment should not hurt. Some technique models use more force to move the vertebrae where there may be an audible “cracking” or “popping” sound. This is just gas escaping the joint and nothing to be afraid of. In our office, we utilize a very specialized form of care that does not involve any twisting or “cracking” of your spine—it is very gentle, precise, and extremely effective at producing results. Read more on our page about “Upper Cervical” chiropractic care.
Check Out Our Location Near You
2255 Crescent St Mt Dora, FL 32757
