Is that pain in your neck a total pain in the neck?
According to the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), neck and shoulder pain is the second most common cause of disability, following low back pain.
So, what is causing all this neck pain?
Well, many things actually. Neck, shoulder and upper back pain is normally multifactorial - meaning that there can be several different reasons for it.
Poor posture such as slouching at a desk, overuse, lack of movement due to inactivity, mental/emotional issues (such as stress, anxiety and depression) are some of the most common examples.
I often see patients for the first time when they are experiencing a sudden, acute onset of pain in their neck that they can’t understand the cause of. More often than not, the problem has been brewing under the surface for a long time due to the reasons mentioned above. These daily strains build up over time and then before you know it a tiny movement on this one particular occasion was the straw that broke the camel’s back (or the patient’s neck!).
Nine times out of ten severe pain like this is the signal the body uses to call us to action. However, if we listen closely enough to our ultra-intelligent body, we’re often given signals well before this time to warn us of dysfunction under the surface.
Have you ever had headaches that just won’t ease as quickly as they used to?
Have you lost rotation your neck when checking for traffic at a junction?
Have you recurrently woken up with tension in your shoulders?
These are not ‘normal’ changes. They are your body’s alert system.
Code Red…
So, instead, wouldn’t it be nice to have a solution for dealing with these more minor issues prior to them becoming bigger, pain-killer taking, incapacitating, time off work inducing incidents?
Thankfully, Chiropractors like me, and the rest of the team at CoreHealth Chiropractic are trained to specifically examine and locate the root cause of these issues even if there isn’t pain there at the time! Chiropractic adjustments are used to correct the function of that area which research has shown to be effective in the treatment and management of neck and shoulder pain.
Oftentimes, the source of neck pain is the neck. Which I know sounds really obvious! However, if you think about it your entire body is connected with one area easily able to affect another.
At CoreHealth Chiropractic we are deeply passionate about having you feel less pain in addressing your symptoms, but we also assess you as a whole person.
After checking you over, we construct a treatment plan based on best evidence, our decades of experience and your lifestyle in order to get you out of pain, but more importantly prevent it from returning. Essentially, we want you living your best life!
Over the next few months, I’m going to be sharing how I approach common issues that I help my patients with on a weekly basis including;
• Lower back pain • Sciatica • Headaches
and I’d love you to join me in becoming more educated and aware of that inner ability your body has to communicate with you. Knowledge is power!
If you found this blog useful please share with any friends or family that could do with hearing it’s message, and if there are any conditions in particular that you would like me to discuss just drop me a message at team@corehealthchiropractic.co.uk. If you’ve not had a spinal MOT to help you with neck pain please contact CoreHealth Chiropractic on 01292 502 292 or at info@corehealthchiropractic.co.uk to book your appointment with me.
Brenda x