A Pain In Your Neck
From stiffness to aches - pains in the neck are all too common. No wonder:
your neck is prone to injury from poor posture, years of abuse, wear and
tear, even stress. Joints can be pushed out of alignment, and other structures
can be stretched, distorted, or torn. Using unique hands-on treatments
(spinal adjustments and soft tissue manipulation), your Doctor of Chiropractic
can treat stiffness and instability, as well as joint, nerve, and other
neck problems.
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Stiffness (hypomobility) can result from
poor posture, muscle tension, stress, and fatigue. When your neck has
too little mobility, you may experience stiffness, pain, muscle tension,
and muscle tension headache.
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Instability (hypermobility) is often the
result of "whiplash" from a car accident or sports injury.
The supporting structures of your neck may be sprained or torn, causing
pain and a wobbly feeling from too much mobility.
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Joint problems (degenerative joint disease)
can arise from abnormal stress on the joints in your neck, often an
ongoing problem that results from poor posture, repeated movements,
of injury. Common symptoms are pain, stiffness, headaches, and neck
aches (often worse in the morning).
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Nerve problems are any of a variety of problems caused
when the nerves (or the roots of the nerves) that pass through your
neck are pinched or irritated. Common symptoms include sudden pain when
you move your head and numbness or weakness in your arms and hands.
Know Your Neck
Your neck (cervical spine) is made up of the top seven vertebrae of your
spine. A healthy neck is strong, flexible, and pain free, and the joints
of these vertebrae are balanced and aligned with a natural curve. Your
neck supports your head, protects your spinal cord and spinal nerves,
and allows you to move your head in a variety of ways.
Vertebrae and Discs
Your neck is made up of seven bones (vertebrae), naturally aligned in
a slight forward curve. The vertebrae have openings (foramina) where the
cervical nerves pass into the shoulders and arms. Discs are
shock-absorbing
pads of cartilage between the vertebrae. Healthy discs have a tough covering,
a jelly-like interior, and a certain amount of "give" to adapt
to various head and neck movements.
Joints
The
joints in your neck allow you to move your head. Each vertebra joins with
the next in two places (the facet joint and Joints of Luschka), giving
the spine great flexibility.
Nerves
Your neck is the channel connecting your brain with the nerves throughout
your body. Spinal nerves branch off from the spinal cord and pass through
the foramina. Each spinal nerve is "rooted" to the spinal cord
with
two small nerve
roots.
Soft Tissue
Soft tissue includes muscle, tendons, and ligaments. Muscles work together
to move and support your head. Tendons are tough tissue connecting muscle
to bone. Ligaments are strong bands of tissue that stabilize and connect
the vertebrae.
Trigger points are small, localized areas of pain and muscle spasm, a
common symptoms of many neck problems. Referred pain may originate in
the neck but can be felt nearby in the shoulders, arms, hands, or face.
Each muscle has its own pattern of referred pain.
Your Range of Motion
Your neck moves more than any other part of your spine, and can move
in three basic ways. Each of these movements has its own range of motion
- the amount of motion that is normally possible. Most neck problems affect
your range of motion in some way.
Flexion is dropping your head forward; extension is dropping your head
backward. their combined range of motion is about 90°. Rotation is turning
your head from side to side, and has a range of motion of about 180°.
Tilting your head from side to side has a range of motion of about 120°.
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