Neck Pain: Overview And Causes
Neck pain is incredibly common; it’s estimated that 1 in 3 people are affected by neck pain at least once a year. Fortunately, neck pain is often highly treatable, and is most often caused by muscle tension, which is then amplified by poor postures and/or poor workplace setup and of course stress,
The team at Fit4Life takes a multimodal approach to neck pain; this means we use a variety of different techniques and practices to find the source of your neck pain and treat it. Whether you have temporary, recurring, or chronic neck pain, we can help.
Anatomy Of The Cervical Spine
The part of your spine that is located in your neck is known as the cervical spine. The cervical spine consists of 7 vertebrae, named C1 to C7. C1, called the atlas, holds up your head, while C2, known as the axis, allows you to shake your head no.
Your cervical spine is surrounded by muscles, nerves, tendons, and ligaments. There are also discs between each of your vertebrae; these allow your vertebrae to be mobile as well as providing shock absorption.
Problems with any of these parts can cause neck pain. Many of these body parts, like the upper fibers of trapezius, are connected to your neck and to your upper back and shoulders. Neck pain and upper back pain can often be linked for this reason. Bringing your neck forward to get closer to your smartphone or computer screen is the most common neck disorder we see.
Common Causes Of Neck Pain
There are two basic categories of neck pain:
- Axial pain, which is felt mostly in your neck
- Radicular pain, which can radiate into your shoulders, arms, and upper back.
Neck pain comes in many different forms; some people experience a burning or stabbing sensation, while others might experience persistent throbbing or aching. Radicular pain is often felt as a shooting pain that travels down the neck into other areas of the body.
There are several different common causes of neck pain, including:
- Muscle tension, which can be caused by poor posture, physical strain, and mental stress
- Wear and tear in the spine, which can be caused by overuse and aging
- Injury, including sports injuries and whiplash from car accidents, can damage muscles, ligaments, disks, and nerves
- Health conditions, including arthritis and cancer
Fortunately, the pain caused by any of these conditions can be reduced with the right treatment plan.
Get Neck Pain Relief With Fit4life
At Fit4Life, we will create a personalized treatment plan for your neck pain. The goal of our neck pain treatment plans is to reduce pain, promote healing, and provide lasting relief. Our team can help alleviate pain stemming from injuries or tension in your neck muscles—injuries that can lead to nerve compression, herniated discs, and more.
Here are some of the modalities we offer to help relieve neck pain:
- Manual therapy ( joint mobilizations, soft tissue release, manual stretching and muscle energy techniques) to reduce pain and improve your range of movement
- Manual neck traction to decompress the neck.
- Personalized exercise program created for you with your lifestyle, and goals in mind. Exercises always include : stretches, strength exercises, core exercises, self trigger point release, but most importantly education on ideal posture and hurt vs harm when returning to play.
- Acupuncture or LLLT( Low level laser therapy) to reduce pain and inflammation
- Dry needling to help release trigger points
Thanks to the wide range of different treatments we offer, we can treat neck pain from a wide range of different sources.
You don’t have to live with neck pain. Visit Fit4Life Physio today. With personalized, one-on-one treatment in our facility, you can recover quickly, and get back to living your best life—a life without chronic or recurring pain.
“Take care of your body and it will take care of you!” – Fit4Life
