3 Main Causes of Neck Pain
Neck pain has become a regular problem to many people over the past few years. A multitude of problems lead to these issues. This blog is designed to point out the 3 reasons that people suffer from tight muscles, shoulder/arm pain, headaches, and lack of energy. The elimination of work stress, rounded scapula, and sleep ergonomics will have you feeling rejuvenated. Say goodbye to neck pain for good.
Work stress is one of the leading contributors to neck pain. If you work from a computer, check out the posture that you present with. Is your head forward? Are your shoulders rounded? Are you in this same position for hours on end? Improper postural positioning causes the muscles in the neck to be stressed and tight. The muscles run from the shoulders to the neck and all the way up to the base of the skull. Tight muscles are painful enough and, if not corrected, will often lead to headaches and misaligned vertebrae due to the excessive pulling. The neck drops forward and you will begin to notice a hump at the base of the cervical spine. That is a protruding vertebrae. It will get tender due to the pressure placed on the nerves.
Rounded shoulders go hand in hand with rounded scapula. Due to the stress on the neck, the rhomboid muscles become weak. They begin to lose hold on the scapula and the scapula begin to flare out laterally and upwards. This forward position causes added neck tension because every muscle that attaches to the scapula will move with it (think traps, supraspinatus and cervical stabilizers). You can test to see if rounded scapula are a problem for you by checking the top of each scapula. If there are tight, sore muscles on each side, work needs to be done.
Are you a side sleeper? This puts extra stress on one side of the neck compared to the other. Do you sleep on your stomach? When this happens, your neck is rotated throughout the evening, and it could also affect digestion. Do you just sleep in any position that feels comfortable? Most people do and that is ok, but we need to look closer at what positions work and don't work for you. Do you toss and turn every night? That could be from a number of different issues. Sleep ergonomics are tough to figure out. It may be that you need a new mattress. It could be that your pillow is too old. Whatever the case may be, if you wake up sore, tired, or with a headache, it's time to thoroughly examine the cause. There may be underlying issues such as sleep apnea that come into play, and the quicker these problems are fixed, the better you will feel.
If you are feeling neck pain and suffer from any of the situations above, there is a strong chance that you need to get your neck/ scapula/ shoulder region checked by a professional. Vert Chiropractic of Greenville, South Carolina is trained to examine, diagnose, and treat all of these ailments. We will provide you with the tools you need to find that perfect sleep position, optimize your posture, and make you feel better than you have in ages. Give us a call today at (864)251-5725 or visit our website at www.vertchiro.com to schedule a consultation. Your body deserves it!