One common cause of neck pain is as simple as what Dr. Jeff calls “text neck.” If that’s the case, the solution is simple, be aware of how much time you spend looking down at your phone or tablet and try to keep it eye level instead.
But there are plenty of other causes for neck pain too.
Things like whiplash, a slipped disc, or a pinched nerve are painful and relatively common. In rare instances, neck pain can indicate serious diseases like lymphoma.
In a minute, I’ll share more about these but first, let’s think about the structure of your neck so it makes sense WHY it’s so easy to strain it.
Vertebrae are the Building Blocks in Your Neck
As Medicine.net says, “ There are seven vertebrae that are the bony building blocks of the spine in the neck (the cervical vertebrae) that surround the spinal cord and canal. Between these vertebrae are discs, and nearby pass the nerves of the neck. Within the neck, structures include the skin, neck muscles, arteries, veins, lymph nodes, thyroid gland, parathyroid glands, esophagus, larynx, and trachea. Diseases or conditions that affect any of these tissues of the neck can lead to neck pain.”
In other words, your neck is strong, yet delicate.
There’s a lot going on with it.
And, your head is heavy.
In fact, did you know that your head weighs an average of 8 pounds? It’s true. It’s no wonder that looking down at a device for extended periods will create neck strain!
Beyond that though, let’s look at some of the other common causes of neck pain.
These are 4 Common Reasons for Neck Pain
Poor Posture – Slumping causes your head to jut forward which puts pressure on your cervical spine (the vertebrae in the neck.) Do this for hours on end, like when you hunch over a computer, and you can see why your neck would hurt.
Poor posture can also create hyperextension because your vertebrae strain too far (for too long) and it creates pain in your upper back.
Spine-health reminds us that “Good posture, as it relates to the neck, is commonly considered when the ears are positioned directly above the shoulders with the chest open and shoulders back. In this neutral position, also called normal head posture, stress on the neck is minimized because the head’s weight is naturally balanced on the cervical spine.”
This is why hours hunched over a computer screen leaves your shoulders and neck tight.
Whiplash – If you’ve been in a car accident, you may have experienced whiplash. The impact of hitting another car (or being hit) is jarring to the body, even if it’s a fender bender.
Whiplash is what we call a sudden impact of your head moving back and forth.
You may feel fine right away, but a few days later, you may feel achy. If you’ve been in an accident, it’s a good idea to have chiropractic treatment as soon as you can to alleviate any potential. It often doesn’t happen right away but a few days after the fact, you may feel achy. If you’ve been in an accident, it’s a good idea to have chiropractic treatment as soon as you can to alleviate any potential problems.
Pinched Nerve Neck Pain – You probably know the expression, “You’re getting on my nerves.” In a way, this comes with some truth to it. While people can’t get on your nerves – not literally – ligaments can and that’s a problem. So can bones and tendons.
With 95 million nerve cells and miles of nerve “traffic” cruising around your body it’s not surprising that ligaments, tendons, or even bones can shift position. This happens when you sit for long periods, when you’re sleeping or if there’s an accident like you fall down a flight of steps. When these get “off track” they put pressure on a nerve and cause you pain.
Degenerative Disc Disease – You’re probably aware that you have discs in your back.
As the doctors at Cedar-Sinai tells us “The discs are like shock absorbers between the bones of the spine and are designed to help the back remain flexible while resisting terrific forces in many different planes of motion.
Each disc has two parts:
1- A firm, tough outer layer, called the anulus fibrosus. The outer portion of this layer contains nerves. If the disc tears in this area, it can become quite painful.
2- A soft, jellylike core, the nucleus pulposus.
This part of the disc contains proteins that can cause the tissues they touch to become swollen and tender. If these proteins leak out to the nerves of the outer layer of the disc, they can cause a great deal of pain.”
These are just four common causes for neck pain. Each of them can be helped with massage therapy and regular chiropractic treatments. Are you ready to book yours? We’re located in Doylestown, on Logan Street across from Central Bucks East High School.
One of the biggest chronic pains of the 21st century is neck and shoulder pain.
Frankly, it’s not surprising. Most of us spend hours a day hunched over computers and mobile devices. Compound that with sports injuries and/or other types of injuries (like whiplash) and it’s kind of amazing more of us don’t walk around like Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Three Ways to Ease Neck and Shoulder Pain
1. An ergonomic desk set up can help relieve shoulder and neck pain that’s brought about because of poor posture.
Think about it.
If you have a desk job, you probably hunch your shoulders and jut your neck out (sounds attractive doesn’t it?).
Fact is, that’s the typical computer posture and creates huge amounts of stress and tension in your upper body because your spine is out of alignment. This then comes as no surprise to find that some people may check out sites like SnackNation (if medical marijuana is the route worth taking), in the hopes of finding an alternative way of managing these pains. As CBD is said to help with chronic pain and various other ailments, this may be something worth considering, especially if the pains are showing no signs of improvements even after visiting a doctor.
This can cause great pain for some office workers. They decide to enjoy something similar to pure pulls to ensure that they can manage their pain effectively.
Good posture keeps your head (and neck) in a vertical position so your head, neck, and spine all flow together seamlessly. Just like a smooth river without any obstacles. If you sit with your neck jutting out, you’ve created an obstacle. Even though you may not feel it, your neck and spine now have to work harder to keep your head balanced.
Add rounded shoulders and upper back and you probably find you have lots of tension in your upper back.
All of it prevents oxygen from flowing freely through your body which means you feel more tired. It also causes neck and shoulder pain.
Getting regular chiropractic treatments, massage therapy, and an ergonomic desk set up will help you feel better. TMS & Brain Health in California deal with issues that people face in terms of mental and physical health, if you are a chronic pain sufferer checking them out to see if they can help you, may benefit your physical health.
2. Stretch – Take breaks throughout the day and incorporate some gentle stretching.
You don’t have to look like the office loony to feel benefits. Even simple shoulder and neck rolls can help loosen the knots in your upper back. Use a resistance band to help stretch your muscles. You can hold it in front of you with both hands and pull it gently – like taffy.
Next, hold it over your head and tug on either end so it stretches.
Combine those with checking your posture and straightening up throughout the day and you’ll be on your way to releasing tension and building strength.
3. Combine Chiropractic and Massage Therapy – The chiropractic treatments “puts everything back where it belongs” in terms of your bones, tissues and ligaments and the massage helps the re-acclimate to where they’re supposed to be so they stay put.
This usually takes a few sessions but some patients have said it made a huge difference.
Your Spine Is Designed to Move
Whether you bend, sit, or twist, your back (and everything it’s connected to) work together to make your movements happen.
Within the 26 bones that form your back are a maze of nerves, tissues, and ligaments that provide cushioning, support and flexibility.
When you think about it, it’s kind of amazing.
The cervical vertebrae are 7 bones that make up your neck. They can shift position a millimeter due to a fall or even repeated motion (like when you spend hours hunched over a computer) and when that happens, you can hurt!
Maybe it doesn’t seem like a big deal but when a bone is out of alignment – even the tiniest bit – it can press on an adjacent nerve. You’ve heard of something “getting on your nerves” – this is the literal manifestation.
If you suffer with chronic neck and shoulder pain, see your chiropractor about discovering the underlying cause. Maybe it stems from an old accident or it’s your current habits. Whichever it is, an Xray can take a “snapshot” of what’s going on in there and your chiropractor can recommend a treatment plan.
After all, aren’t you ready to feel good again?
If you’re Doylestown, Pa, Dr. Jeff McQuaite offers a new patient special. Stop in and feel the difference.
Neck pain can come in many forms. Stress, poor posture, even sleeping at an awkward angle can all affect how your neck feels.
A chiropractor for neck pain can help you find the reason for your chronic pain and work on healing it.
Here are a few of the reasons for neck pain:
Long hours sitting at a computer. Most people don’t realize they jut their heads out slightly which puts unusual pressure on your neck and shoulders. An ergonomic work area may be the solution.
Head bent over texting – A human head weighs about 8 pounds, that’s the weight of some bowling balls. You’ll reduce pressure on your neck and shoulders if you text with the phone at eye level rather than bent over it. It takes a little getting used to, but hey, you got used to texting in the first place, right?
Whiplash – If you’ve been in a car accident, you may suffer from whiplash. That’s the moment when your head is slung forward and back at a rapid rate and often happens upon impact in a car crash.
Your bed/pillow – Have you checked your pillows? If you’ve slept on the same pillows for years, mix it up with a different type. Try a firmer one or a softer one – opposite from what you’ve been using. Or, you might try a combination. One patient with neck pain uses a slightly firm pillow under a super soft one that supports her neck.
Injury – Sports can take their toll on your body and it’s pretty common to have neck pain especially from rough sports like football and soccer.
When you see a chiropractor for neck pain, you’ll experience relief from the pressure of your bones pressing on your nerves or muscles. The reason you have pain is due to inflammation and mis alignment. Your Doylestown chiropractor, Dr. Jeff McQuaite will Xray your neck area to determine the cause of your pain and prescribe a treatment plan.
If you ignore your neck pain, you may find yourself getting frequent headaches or feeling pain in other areas like your wrists or forearms. The reason is everything is connected. Since chiropractic treatments focus on realigning your spine — including your neck — it takes the pressure off neighboring nerves so you feel better.
Why not book an appointment with a chiropractor for neck pain and see how you can feel relief?
If you suffer from chronic neck pain do you know the reason why? Millions of Americans suffer from neck pain for all kinds of reasons from whiplash to spending too many hours hunched over a digital device.
You might be surprised at the way you can find neck pain relief. From gentle exercises to massage therapy and chiropractic care, there are a lot of options. However, to find pain relief and manage it well, you’ll want to get to the source of the pain.
Do you know why you have frequent neck pain?
One of the most common reasons you may suffer with neck pain is because you spend the majority of your hours hunched over a computer. If that’s the case, you may need a better ergonomic setup.
Another technological pain in the neck is “text neck”, looking down at your phone for long periods. If so, trying lifting the phone (and your head) so the device is eye level.
Is your head causing your neck pain? And no, I don’t mean you “made it up.” Merely, your head is heavy. It weighs between 10-12 pounds so if you’re bending it forward for hours at a time, that’s a lot of stress on both the tiny bones in your neck and the surrounding soft tissue. No wonder your neck aches!
3 Common Reasons for Neck Pain
Computer/devices (being bent over all the time stresses your neck and upper body as you can see above.)
Sleeping on a pillow that doesn’t support your neck. It can require a few different tries to find one that works for you but many people like the memory foam type pillows.
Poor posture contributes too. By now you may be seeing a pattern in the hunched shoulders with the head jutting forward problem. If you can train yourself to stand up straight, you’ll improve your posture and even your breathing since oxygen will be able to circulate easier in your body.
Let’s face it, a lot of our habits can contribute to on-going neck pain and sometimes it only takes a few simple tweaks to find relief.
For example, by adjusting your computer monitor to eye level and improving your posture, you’ll reduce some of the strain on your neck. Ice and health therapy can help too. Use ice for the first 24-48 hours followed by heat therapy. A heating pad or one of those microwaveable rice-filled pillows will work.
If you find yourself seeking neck pain relief often, then come in for a chiropractic evaluation. Chiropractic care can relieve neck pain and we can help you assess the source. If you’re in Doylestown, Pa, McQuaite Chiropractic can help. We offer consultations and take most insurance.
Just about everywhere you look people are staring at their smart phones, iPads, laptops, you name it. But a Doylestown chiropractor says the constant strain on your neck could be causing major damage.
According to Pew Research Institute, more than half of Americans own a smart phone. Then there are all of the laptops, e-readers and tablets. Bottom line: we are looking down a lot.
According to Dr. Jeff McQuaite he often sees patients with aches and pains that turn out to be related to their technology. His neck pain patients said that they were playing on their iPads for hours on end, looking down at a computer seven hours a day at work, texting or responding to emails on their phones and, reading on their Kindles.
“I am seeing it a lot, especially in teenagers and even older patients,” he says. “We’re so into our electronic devices, and what we’re doing is holding the device at chest- or waist-level, and looking down at the device. It’s causing neck muscles to be shortened and tightened, and shoulders to be rounded forward.”
When you’re texting, you’re turning your whole spine forward. While the head is angled forward, the ligaments and tendons in the neck and back become overstretched. This overexertion can lead to an inflammation of the muscles and can cause mild to severe neck and back pain. There are increasing reports of “text neck” causing lower back pain, which is often chronic.
Any kind of neck, shoulder, or back pain requires some sort of attention, he says. You can stretch at home, get a massage see a chiropractor or by simply holding your phone higher when you look at it can make a considerable difference.
You deserve to feel good. If you’re in Doylestown, PA, we can see you at McQuaite Chiropractic and help you feel better.
Dr. Jeff McQuaite
McQuaite Chiropractic
295 Logan Street
Doylestown, Pa. 18901
267-247-7000
Office Hours
Mon: 8:30 am – 12pm,
2:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Tues: 2:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Weds: 8:30 am – 12pm, 2:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Thurs: 2:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Fri: 8:30 am – 12 pm
Sat: 8:00 am – 10 am
