It’s no wonder we refer to something annoying as a “pain in the neck.” Neck pain can really put a crimp in your day and your mood, causing you to have less head mobility and even being the source of headaches. So when neck pain occurs, you want to resolve it immediately. But for a significant portion of people, neck pain can be chronic and requires a deep dive into the underlying causes to focus on a long-term solution, so you can enjoy living without this hampering pain.

Did you know neck pain is one of the most common areas to experience chronic pain? In fact, it’s the third most common with an estimated 1 in 10 people reporting suffering from chronic neck pain.

Why does neck pain occur?

Chronic neck pain can be caused by a variety of situations. Sometimes it can be linked back to our daily habits and activities, such as the way we hold our head during work hours, or the position we sleep in. Aging, poor posture, and injuries caused due to improper lifting can all be a source of neck pain. “Tech neck,” which refers to the habit of continuously straining the neck to look downward at a mobile device, has become more prevalent with the advent of digital devices.

What are the most common symptoms of neck pain?

Neck pain can be felt as stiffness, soreness, or a burning or sharp pain. It can also radiate to your upper back or shoulders and may cause headaches or nausea. Additionally, you might have numbness, dizziness, facial pain, a “pins and needles” sensation, muscle spasms, or pain that spreads to your arms and hands.

While we all get occasional neck pain from staring at our phones for too long or sleeping in an awkward position, if the pain doesn’t go away in several weeks or a month, it can be considered chronic and requires attention for healing to begin.

How can neck pain impact your daily life?

Neck pain can have a large effect on your quality of life. Even basic activities, such as dressing, washing, and driving can be difficult when you have neck pain. In fact, since your range of motion is likely limited, driving may even be dangerous, making it difficult to maintain your responsibilities and commute to work.

Since neck pain can be a constant source of discomfort, it can affect your ability to perform your job and get in the way of social situations and activities you used to find enjoyable.

Sleep can be particularly difficult with neck pain, so patients often report feeling severely fatigued due to lack of a restful night’s sleep. Combined, chronic neck pain can affect nearly every aspect of your life, which often causes patients to suffer from anxiety and depression, brought on by the stress of this ever-present condition.

What are common treatments for neck pain?

Conventional treatments for neck pain typically involve medications that temporarily mask the pain or invasive surgery. Over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen, naproxen sodium, or ibuprofen are typically used for acute neck pain. Chronic neck pain sufferers however may need stronger painkillers to, in the short-term, cover up the feelings of discomfort they are experiencing. This can lead to a dependence on such painkillers. Beyond oral medications, steroid injections are often suggested for more persistent chronic neck pain. Spinal surgery may even be suggested, although these types of procedures sometimes do not bring about the relief patients may hope for.

What are the drawbacks/side effects of traditional treatments?

Like many other chronic pain conditions, painkilling medications are the most common conventional healthcare option for chronic neck pain. However, these come with a host of issues. Although NSAIDs are over-the-counter and relatively safe, over time they can pose significant side effects, including stomach irritation, headaches, dizziness, and, although rare, kidney problems.

Stronger prescription medication muscle relaxants can cause drowsiness, which makes them not an option when you need to be able to pay attention at work, drive a car, care for children, or operate machinery.  In addition to this side effect, prescription pain medication has a serious risk of addiction associated with it and loses the ability to help with continual use due to tolerances which are often developed.

Steroid injections also have risks, including infection, allergic reaction, flushing of skin, and localized bleeding, among others. Neck surgery has the risks of anesthesia along with side effects, such as bleeding, pain, stiffness, leakage of cerebrospinal fluid, infection, nerve damage, blood clots, and more.

How can chiropractic care help alleviate the symptoms of neck pain?

Chiropractic care can be very effective for neck pain in many cases. Chiropractors specialize in helping reduce chronic pain, particularly for areas of the spine, for long-term relief. Whereas painkillers simply provide a temporary band-aid option, rather than an actual treatment, chiropractic has been shown in studies to provide real, lasting relief to patients without the risks associated with pain medications and surgery. Some common chiropractic treatments for this condition are chiropractic adjustments, soft tissue therapy, and recommendations for lifestyle changes.

Oakland Spine & Physical Therapy Helps Alleviate the Symptoms of Neck Pain

The experienced chiropractors of Oakland Spine & Physical Therapy have dedicated their careers to offering life-changing solutions for patients with chronic pain. For chronic neck pain, we provide spinal adjustments, which can help reduce the pressure of a spinal imbalance, helping relieve the stress on your neck and ensure your spine is properly aligned. This type of spinal manipulation not only helps reduce your neck pain, but will also support improvements in your mobility and flexibility.

In addition, we offer complementary therapies such as massage, acupuncture, deep tissue laser therapy and physical therapy, to focus on healing your body’s imbalance and thereby relieving you of the chronic pain you’ve endured. Our holistic approach means we take your entire body and lifestyle into account during your healing process. This may include our highly-trained chiropractors suggesting lifestyle changes and strategies for helping to avoid neck pain in the future.

Physical Therapy may also be recommended to build back the strength in your neck and back that was lost while the area was experiencing chronic pain. This not only allows you to regain muscle that helps support a healthy spinal alignment, but will continue to allow you to improve your posture, a keep component to neck health.

The experienced team at Oakland Spine & Physical Therapy understands how chronic neck pain can impact your life. We’re committed to bringing you comprehensive care that tackles the root causes of your pain, rather than simply masking it. If you live in North Jersey and suffer from chronic pain, you owe it to yourself to break free from the pain that’s getting in the way of leading the life you want to live. Don’t waste another second settling when you can be enjoying pain relief.