Most people don’t usually think much about the space between their head and shoulders until they find themselves with neck pain. After that driving, reading a book, talking on the phone, and many other everyday activities can become a source of great discomfort.

 

Your neck is the most vulnerable part of your spine.  Not only does it support your 4-5Kg head, maintain a gentle forward curve, and permit head movement, but it must also allow free flow of nerve signals to the head, arms and rest of your body. It also houses a host of important structures including 7 cervical vertebrae (neck bones), spinal & cranial nerves, spinal cord & brain stem, glands (thyroid & parathyroid), voice box, esophagus & trachea, and muscles, ligaments & blood vessels. Besides annoyance, neck pain is a sign that something is wrong. Temporary pain that results from everyday things may resolve, especially when the causative factor is ceased. When it doesn’t, it may be due to an underlying problem that you are unaware of.

 

Many instances of neck pain start from something minor. For example, you may have slept in an awkward position. It is commonly associated with poor posture, rounded shoulders and forward projection of the head when reading, writing or working on your computer. Our response to stress is another common cause of neck pain. Deadlines. Rush hour traffic. Work pressures. Family obligations…If the weakest link in our bodies is our neck, stress shows up there. While chiropractic care cannot reduce the stress in life, it can help improve your ability to handle and tolerate it.

 

In most cases, prolonged or re-occurring neck pain is due to functional distortions in the spine resulting in joint locking which is further reinforced by the reactive muscle spasm to protect the area. When neck bones are misaligned or lose mobility, nerves can be irritated or even damaged. This can lead to other symptoms such as headaches, eye problems and arm & hand pain.