What are the Common Causes of Neck Pain?

Neck pain is—well—a pain in the neck. And like any other pain in the neck, you want to be rid of it. But when you’re having real back or neck pain, determining the cause of that pain can be a key to relief. Read on to learn what may be causing your pain and what a chiropractor can do to help.

What Causes Neck Pain?

The list of possible reasons for back and neck pain is endless. But here are a few of the more common causes:

• Auto Accidents. Whether you’ve been involved in an accident recently or quite a while ago, the pain you’re feeling may be due to an injury that was not immediately bothersome. For this reason, it’s always a good idea to let a chiropractor examine you for any hidden injuries that need treatment in order to prevent pain.
• Falls. Same as auto accidents. You may not notice back or neck pain right away, but problems may develop later.
• Tech Neck. Funny name, but a real problem in this day and age of smartphones and other handheld devices. When texting, most people hold a phone at about waist level, which means you must tip your chin down and bend your neck forward in order to see the screen. This position dramatically increases the occurrence and alteration of neck posture as well as structural distortions in people of all ages.
• Heavy Backpacks. Children and teens are not immune to back and neck pain, especially if they carry a backpack that is too heavy. Combined with their ubiquitous use of cell phones, a heavy backpack can lead to back and neck trouble. This is particularly concerning because they are still developing and going through growth spurts, which can predispose them for advance spinal deformities once they become adults.
• Poor posture. Did your mom ever tell you, “Stand up straight”? She was right. Poor posture—whether from an accident, sports injury, sitting at a computer all day, or wanting to appear less tall—is directly linked to chronic neck pain and disabilities. One or all of these can eventually lead to loss of natural curvature and a forward head posture.

Left untreated, these postural distortions can cause a significant increase in degeneration or damage within back and neck bones (vertebra), joints and cartilage (spinal discs) and nerves at an accelerated rate.

What You Can Do to Relieve Back and Neck Pain

Chiropractic adjustments may be just what the doctor orders to realign the back or neck portion of your spine that has become irritated. Once your pain is relieved, scheduled rehabilitation and easy-to-perform exercises at home will be prescribed in order to prevent a relapse. To encourage good posture, you’ll also learn how to properly hold your body.

Neck pain is common, but with a chiropractor, it doesn’t have to affect you or your children anymore.

Dr. Chad Wills is a chiropractor in Naples, FL. His practice, Wills Chiropractic, offers a range of services including chiropractic treatments, therapeutic exercises, weight loss and management, soft tissue laser therapy and rehabilitation.