Did you know that neck pain affects 15-20% of Americans daily, and some resources suggest that 1 out of 3 people may experience neck pain at any given time. It has a recurrence rate of 50-80% within five years! Why is it so common, you may ask? Our daily lives are increasingly filled with stress. That stress can be physical stress from the job we work, the sports we play, or the activities we perform. Stress can be emotional, stemming from relationships, careers, the loss of loved ones, and other sources of distress. We also live more sedentary lifestyles than we did in the past. We spend 8 hours per day, 5 days a week, sitting at a computer in a forward position. As much as we try to limit our use of technology, such as computers and cell phones, today’s world is increasingly consumed by these gadgets, which can lead to hours of forward head posture and potential neck strain.
The neck is comprised of various tissues, including muscles, bones (such as vertebrae), ligaments, tendons, nerves, and blood vessels. The average adult head weighs 10lbs. This 10lb bowling ball sits on top of the neck. Neck pain can originate from any of these anatomical structures, and it is essential to identify which structure is the primary pain generator. One primary problem that often gets overlooked, which we address as chiropractors, is cervical subluxation. A subluxation is when the joint complex of any of the neck vertebrae isn’t working as well as it should be. This is important because the joint complex of the vertebra involves not only bone tissue but also muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and blood vessels. This problem has a profound effect on surrounding tissues, and correcting or treating it can have a significant impact on the entire neck.
All too often, patients will come to our office because they were told to take an over-the-counter pain medication and rest. This can usually lead to temporary relief, but if the pain generator isn’t identified and corrected, the problem will recur and often result in increased pain.
$49 New Patient Special
Includes Consultation With Your Doctor, Thorough Chiropractic Examination, Doctors Report of Findings, X-Rays If Necessary, First Treatment & MRI Review.
How Our Care Plan Works
1. See Exactly What Is Causing Your Pain
Step one is to better understand each and every patient through our thorough consultation process. This leads to a comprehensive spinal examination and any needed digital x-rays to better understand the problem at hand.
2. Get a Customized Gameplan To Fix Your Problem For Good
After the consultation, spinal examination and any needed spinal x-rays, a specific game plan to fix the problem is recommended which may include spinal adjustments, non-surgical decompression therapy, Softwave tissue regenerative therapy, orthotics, home exercises, or even possibly a referral to an appropriate provider if it is not a condition Dr. O’Keefe feels he can help.
3. Get Back To Everything You Love With The People You Love The Most
Enjoy the benefits of following your specific game plan that you have been seeking. Find joy in playing pickle ball again, bask in the excitement to get outside and garden, or perhaps feel the energy of sleeping well once again.
How We Treat Neck Pain In Clear Lake, WI
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
We treat neck pain by first starting with a comprehensive consultation and examination. Each patient fills out our simple paperwork, which provides us with the necessary details of what is occurring, when it happened, any insight into how it happened, and any critical prior history that can provide us with information about what is occurring now. From here, we perform any necessary orthopedic and neurological tests to identify the underlying problem. We will also perform a spinal examination of the neck, including range of motion, palpation, and possibly infrared paraspinal thermography. Finally, we take a set of digital X-rays to visualize the area for alignment, positioning, and the condition of the cervical spine.
Digital X-rays
We have found digital X-rays to be an essential part of our examination process because they not only provide us with valuable information for both the patient and ourselves now, but also give the patient a heads up about potential risks in the future. The digital x-ray enables quick and easy visualization of the overall position and condition of the spine. By condition, I mean: Are we seeing loss of curvature? Is there a list to the right or left? Are there any unique findings, such as a cervical rib, or degenerative changes, such as arthritis or bone spurs? When we have findings such as arthritis, we know the spine has been compromised for some time, which means it may take a little longer for that person to feel their best.
Specific Chiropractic Care in Clear Lake, WI
Next, after we perform a consultation, examination, and digital X-rays of the neck and find that the neck is indeed experiencing a vertebral subluxation, chiropractic care is warranted. A subluxation is when two or more bones of the spine, specifically in the neck in this case, are not working or moving as they are intended to. This, in turn, creates inflammation and irritation in the surrounding muscles, ligaments, discs, nerves, and bones. Not only can this cause neck pain, but people may also experience headaches originating from the neck, as well as radiating symptoms into their shoulders, elbows, or hands, such as pain, numbness, or tingling. As a chiropractor, I make specific adjustments to these vertebrae that are not functioning properly to restore normal movement and reduce irritation to the nerves and surrounding tissues. This helps alleviate the pain naturally, versus using pain pills or muscle relaxers.
Custom Therapeutic Exercise Plan
As we begin to make spinal adjustments to help alleviate neck pain, we have found it also necessary to instruct and provide exercises for each patient to perform at home. Often, these exercises are recommended to be done at least once to three times per day. Spinal exercises for the neck are essential because the muscles of the spinal system help maintain the spine in its proper position.
When a vertebral subluxation has been present for some time, the muscles surrounding that area have become accustomed to a specific pattern and tension. As we release the stress, we want the muscles to adapt to this new position and movement pattern, which will help provide long-term relief. Some simple neck exercises we commonly instruct our patients to use include an upward forty-five-degree head rotation to the right and left, chin tucks, and the butterfly exercise. These exercises begin to help retrain the musculature around the spine, particularly in the neck. The exercises strengthen the muscles and build endurance, especially for patients who perform repetitive movements or spend most of their days sitting at a desk.
Cervical Spinal Decompression
Along with spinal adjustments to help alleviate neck pain, we also often recommend cervical or neck spinal decompression therapy. With aging and injuries, the disc spaces in the neck begin to thin, arthritis develops, and gravity compresses our spine from the neck to the tailbone. If gravity is compressing us every second of the day, we should decompress the spine to mitigate the gravitational forces on our bodies.
The spinal discs are gel-like substances. They are the spacers between each vertebra that provide a shock-absorbing property and also create space for where the spinal nerve exits. With the compressional forces of gravity, slips and falls, overuse injuries, and wear and tear, the disc material may start to either press outward, like a jelly donut, or dehydrate. When this happens, the joints in the back of the spine, known as facet joints, compress and can become painful. Additionally, when this occurs, there may be a narrowing of the nerve as it exits between the vertebrae, which can cause radiating pain, numbness, and tingling in the arms.
When decompression therapy is administered, think of it like an accordion. When the accordion is pulled open, it brings air into the instrument. This same type of vacuum effect occurs as the spine is gently distracted or pulled repetitively over time. Not only does it help alleviate the disc from pressing out toward the nerves and take pressure off the facet joints, but it also helps slow down the degenerative process caused by gravitational compression.
Common Causes of Neck Pain in Clear Lake, WI
Subluxation
A subluxation is when one or more vertebrae become stuck and don’t move as they are usually intended to. Slips, falls, stress, and wear and tear can cause these joints to become dysfunctional. Subluxations can lead to muscle spasms, inflammation, and irritated nerves. As a chiropractor, we identify these subluxations through our spinal examinations, as well as by taking x-rays of the neck to assess the underlying condition of the neck and spine. When we identify which vertebrae are subluxated, we can adjust those vertebrae skillfully and gently. When we make these adjustments, we restore proper movement, improve mobility, and decrease inflammation and irritation, which in turn helps alleviate neck pain.
Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is also another common cause of neck pain. Degenerative disc disease was once thought to be a disease of aging, but it is now being observed in younger and younger individuals. Degenerative disc disease slowly deteriorates the disc, narrowing the space where the nerve exits the spinal column. The disc loses its height and shock-absorbing properties, often irritating the disc and causing it to bulge into the facet joints and onto the nerves in that area. Age definitely is a risk factor for DDD, but also injuries that have occurred in life. These injuries may include automobile accidents, slips and falls, repetitive work environments, poor posture, and sedentary lifestyles. Chiropractic care and non-surgical decompression therapy help DDD by getting the cervical spine properly moving again and fighting the compressional forces of gravity on those damaged and irritated discs.
Bulged Cervical Discs
Bulged cervical discs are a prevalent cause of neck pain. Because the disc is a jelly-like substance, think of it like a jelly donut. Wear and tear may cause the jelly substance to start pushing outward away from the center of the disc. Oftentimes, the jelly will push out toward the nerve because that is often the weaker part of the disc. Bulged discs can occur for many reasons, including but not limited to whiplash injury from sports or automobile injuries, slips and falls, and overuse injuries. Often, a bulging disc can cause pain in the area of the disc injury, and it may also lead to symptoms of pain, numbness, and tingling in the arms and hands. Chiropractic care and spinal decompression are great conservative tools that can help individuals with a disc bulge that are not surgical or medication in nature.
Tech Neck
Tech neck is another cause of neck pain common in society today. It has become more prevalent today due to our increasingly sedentary lifestyles, desk and computer jobs that many people hold, and our use of devices such as video games and cell phones. With the increasing use of cell phones, not only by adults but also by our younger generation, we are witnessing a rise in posture-related neck pain issues. As we start to develop at a young age, we have a banana curve in our neck. This banana-shaped curve helps put proper pressure into the joints and keeps pressure off the nerves. However, tech neck often takes that curve out of our neck and now puts pressure on the very things our body was trying to keep pressure off. On average, the human head weighs approximately 10 pounds. Ideally, we want to keep the head over our shoulders; however, with tech neck, the head starts to come forward, leading to forward head carriage. This additional forward posture puts extra strain on the muscles, tendons, nerves, ligaments, and bones, inducing more stress and strain. The muscles of the neck can only hold the head in that position for a limited time before they become fatigued. Fatigued muscles become painful muscles. This is similar to holding onto something of any weight. Let’s use a half-gallon of milk. If you tried to hold it out away from your body, your shoulder and arm muscles would quickly become fatigued, and your arms would start to hurt. A similar mechanism occurs with tech neck. Our goal with chiropractic care is not only to improve neck mobility but also to provide simple exercises that can help the muscles and positioning take more tension off the neck.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a chiropractor in Clear Lake, WI, good for neck pain?
Yes, there are many causes of neck pain, and chiropractors are specifically trained to diagnose and uncover the cause of neck pain.
Is it okay to “pop” my own neck?
Often, popping one’s own neck can provide temporary relief, but it may not address the actual underlying problem. This is where a skilled chiropractor can detect and identify the vertebra that may not be working as intended and provide a specific adjustment to help alleviate the underlying problem.
Is a massage or chiropractic better for neck pain?
Both are effective for neck pain and often work well together, although they are quite different in nature. Massage therapy typically focuses on the muscles, while chiropractic care concentrates on the function and movement of the underlying structures, including the spine and, ultimately, the nerves. The nerves control the muscles, so if the irritation is not removed from the nerves, the muscles will continue to spasm.
How should I sleep with neck pain?
Side sleeping and back sleeping are the most effective positions for sleeping when you have neck pain. Most importantly, we want to ensure your neck is in a neutral position and is not kinked one way or the other. Too much tilt or kink can put additional stress on the neck, causing more pain.
How can you tell if your neck is out of alignment?
Similar to a dentist looking for cavities, you may or may not know to what degree the neck vertebrae are out of alignment. Indeed, certain vertebrae are not functioning as they are intended to. Similar to a cavity, a cavity doesn’t cause pain immediately when it starts to form, but it can over time. This is true of subluxation in the neck. Over time, it starts to cause muscle spasms, nerve irritation, and tenderness. A trained chiropractor has the education and skill set to examine and find when this occurs.
$49 New Patient Special
Includes Consultation With Your Doctor, Thorough Chiropractic Examination, Doctors Report of Findings, X-Rays If Necessary, First Treatment & MRI Review.