In this section, you can find easy and helpful stretching and moving exercises, as well as facts on how you can be proactive and manage your pain.
Just choose an area of the body from the list below to get started.
A whopping two-thirds of adults experience neck pain at some point in their lives (Am_Fam_Phys_2004;69:1275). The intensity can range from mildly nagging to completely debilitating. Chiropractors often care for patients with neck discomfort. This is because misaligned spinal bones (vertebrae) are a well-known cause of neck pain. To learn more about the spine’s connection to neck pain — and ways you can prevent being immobilized by it.
Acute Neck Pain
There are essentially two broad classifications of neck pain: acute and
chronic. Acute neck pain, most often injury related, is sudden and intense. Acute neck pain tends to dissipate within a few days, weeks or months. However, once the pain resolves, lingering spinal misalignments may predispose patients to subsequent conditions, including neck pain, shoulder pain, headaches and carpal tunnel syndrome. Acute neck discomfort has a variety of instigators. Whiplash is one of the most common causes of acute neck injury. Many people are not aware that whiplash victims frequently don’t experience immediate pain. In fact, symptoms may be delayed for months, or even years. And by that time, permanent damage may have occurred. Regular chiropractic care can lessen the impact of whiplash by strengthening the immune system and promoting overall good health. A recent study found that “fair or poor health before the collision was associated with severe neck pain in females.” A history of prior headaches and being unaware of the head’s position at the time of the collision also worsened whiplash (Spine 2006;31:E98-E104).
Another common cause of acute neck pain is torticollis — a condition commonly known as “wryneck.” This disorder ensues when the head is suddenly twisted to one side. For in stance, following a difficult birth, newborns often suffer from wryneck. Traumas such as falls and sports injuries also result in acute neck pain.
Chronic pain, on the other hand, is typically characterized by tenderness and aching lasting more than three months. Poor posture, such as improper ergonomics while working at a computer, can lead to chronic neck pain.
The Spinal Connection
The spine is actually a chain of intricately arranged bones (vertebrae) connected to form a single functional unit. This bony framework houses the spinal column. Nerves to all parts of the body enter and exit the spinal column through channels between vertebrae. When vertebrae are misaligned, transmission of nerves may be affected, sparking not only neck pain, but also a host of conditions, such as headaches, backaches, attention problems and infantile colic.
The video below shows just one example of how a simple exercise can help reduce pain in the neck and decrease the chances of vertebral misalignment.
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