When you're plagued by neck pain, it's all but impossible to think about anything else. You can't sleep comfortably, turn your head to watch out for traffic, or make the normal, simple motions required by your work. At some point, you're bound to put your foot down and say, "This has to stop." But taking action against your neck pain doesn't have to mean submitting yourself for surgery. We can provide you with natural, non-invasive neck pain treatment right here at Total Wellness Center in Aurora.
Why are you suffering from neck pain? For many of us, simply getting older can bring challenges to the structures of the neck. Common age-related or degenerative causes of neck pain include:
Neck pain affects younger people as well. Many of them suffer from a form of pain and stiffness called "text neck," the consequence of drooping their heads down to stare at their mobile device screens all the time. Repetitive motion strain and an unbalanced alignment between the skull and spine can both lead to chronic neck pain.
Acute injuries are yet another source of neck pain that can strike suddenly, regardless of age. Whiplash is perhaps the most well-known example. A sharp impact to your body from a car collision or sports accident can throw your head backward and forward like the crack of a whip. These extreme motions damage your neck's muscles, tendons, cervical spinal alignment, and vertebral discs.
You may have heard about people who resorted to major surgery to ease their neck pain. But surgery should be reserved as a last resort, not the first course of action. Invasive procedures to fuse the cervical spine or remove pieces of vertebral discs permanently alter your neck anatomy and the results aren't always what you hoped for. Conservative modalities such as chiropractic treatment can provide the same (or better) pain relief without the risks, recuperation times, and expenses associated with surgery. We don't impose unnatural changes on the body; we simply work to help the body restore itself to its normal state. We also treat the underlying causes of your symptoms, not just the symptoms themselves, giving you a degree of lasting, long-term relief that you can't obtain from painkilling drugs alone.
Chiropractors can use a variety of techniques to improve the alignment of the cervical spine. Our aurora chiropractor, Dr. Geersen, can provide traditional chiropractic adjustments, but she also offers the Activator Technique. This gentle, low-force technique is especially well suited for the small, subtle adjustments your neck may require. It's also quite comfortable, administering its adjustments so quickly that your neck muscles have time to tense up in response.
The first step toward any kind of chiropractic treatment is a careful examination. We will look at your neck alignment, medical history, and current symptoms to determine the right treatment strategy. In addition to a chiropractic adjustment, you may benefit from services such as acupuncture (to ease your pain the natural way), nutritional counseling (to promote healing), changes in your everyday work habits or sports technique, and rehabilitative or corrective exercises to strengthen your neck and restore lost mobility.
It's no secret that most people are attached to their phones. Furthermore, many people would not be able to do their jobs without their phones. Sadly, this smartphone addiction can lead to serious health problems. One of the common issues that people might face is called text neck.
Text neck syndrome, which is often shortened to text neck, is a medical condition that results from extended screen use. Typically, this results from looking at a smartphone for an extended period of time. When someone is constantly using their smartphone, they are typically looking down at the screen. Constantly cranking the neck in a downward direction will place a lot of stress on the muscles and ligaments of the neck. This leads to the development of text neck.
Text neck syndrome can lead to discomfort in a variety of ways. When someone has been diagnosed with text neck, they have placed an extensive amount of stress on the muscles, ligaments, and tendons of the neck. The neck is meant to be upright on top of the spine. Looking down at the phone can cause fatigue in the muscles of the neck. This can also stretch the ligaments and tendons of the cervical region of the back. The muscles, ligaments, and tendons will start to get tight. This leads to discomfort.
Text neck symptoms can vary depending on the severity of the condition; however, some of the most common symptoms of text neck syndrome include:
Fortunately, there are a few options for neck pain treatment. This includes text neck syndrome.
Anyone who is seeking neck pain treatment for text neck should know that a chiropractor in Aurora and Denver can provide effective symptom relief. Some of the treatment options for text neck include:
Chiropractic Care: Chiropractors have a variety of tools at their disposal that can help someone treat text neck. Using adjustments and manipulations, a chiropractor can release the ligaments and tendons of the neck. This will restore the flexibility and range of motion of the neck, leading to effective pain relief. A chiropractor can also discuss text neck exercises that can help treat and prevent text neck from developing.
Acupuncture: A chiropractor may also use acupuncture as a treatment tool for text neck. Acupuncture can help calm some of the nerves that might be inflamed or irritated due to text neck. Acupuncture takes advantage of certain trigger points throughout the body. By placing a needle in these trigger points, a chiropractor can influence the flow of hormones, neurotransmitters, and various signals throughout the body, leading to effective pain relief.
Neck pain treatment is about more than just treating text neck symptoms. It is also about text neck prevention.
These are only a few ways that someone can prevent text neck from developing in the future. Some of the effective preventative measures include:
This can go a long way toward preventing the development of text neck.
Neck pain can ruin your life, but only if you allow it to do so. Take control of your neck problem, starting today. Call (303) 627-7995 and schedule an appointment with our neck pain doctor at Total Wellness Center in Aurora. We know how to fix your neck!