Neck Pain Treatment Lakeland FL | New City Chiropractic

If you’re suffering from a sore, stiff, or aching neck and need neck pain treatment you should contact New City Chiropractic in Lakeland, Florida. Our expert team of neck pain specialists can diagnose your condition and tailor a treatment plan bring you neck pain relief. Call or schedule an appointment online.

We’ve all heard the adage “A pain in the neck,” in reference to something annoying, bothersome, and inconvenient. If you have experienced a real pain in your neck, whether you woke up this morning with a crick in your neck, or have suffered from chronic pain for days, weeks, months, or even years, you know just how true the adage is. The chiropractors at New City Chiropractic have the instruments, expertise, and compassion to treat your neck pain and restore your mobility!

Symptoms of Neck Pain

Of course, a symptom of neck pain is a pain the neck. However, when you visit your chiropractor for neck pain treatment, it will be helpful if you can provide some details about your symptoms. Some questions your chiropractor may ask include:

  • Does your pain increase when you hold your head in one position for a while? This may occur when you drive or work at your computer, or type, or are at your sewing machine, for example.

  • Do you feel spasms in your neck or a general feeling of muscle tightness?

  • Does it hurt just to move your head? Do you hold your head very still so you do not feel the pain?

  • Do you also have headaches?

  • Does the pain go down your arms, possibly even into your legs?

  • Do you have numbness and tingling in any of your limbs?

  • When did you first notice the pain?

  • Is there anything you do that makes the pain worse?

  • Is there anything you do that you find reduces the pain?

What Causes Neck Pain?

Medically known as the cervical spine, your neck contains seven small vertebrae. These vertebrae and their associated muscle tissue support the entire weight of your head, which can weigh up to 12 pounds. The neck is flexible, which is what allows you to be able to turn your head. This flexibility is also what makes it susceptible to injury and pain. Some of the primary causes of neck pain include:

  • Whiplash caused by an accident. Car accidents often cause a neck injury called “whiplash.” When a vehicle comes to a sudden stop, the head is whipped forward and backward in a jerking motion. This causes the muscles to tighten and contract which results in muscle fatigue. This, in turn, leads to pain and stiffness. A severe whiplash may even damage the intervertebral joints, the nerve roots, ligaments, muscles, and even the spinal discs.

  • Activities of daily living. Problems of obesity, weak abdominal muscles, and poor posture can all contribute to neck pain. Long hours sitting at a desk can muscle tightness, leading to limited mobility in the neck and pinched nerves. Also, when you are under stress, your neck muscles may contract, causing pain.

  • Muscle strains. This may happen when you spend long hours hunched over your computer or your sewing machine or other device. Reading in bed can also cause neck pain.

  • Degenerative disease. As people age, degenerative disorders become more common. Osteoarthritis, meningitis, scoliosis, or even cancer can cause neck pain.

  • Osteoarthritis. Although this condition is associated with aging, it is a condition found in people of all ages. It is caused primarily by the deterioration of cartilage over a period of time. The body’s response is to form bone spurs, causing pain when the joint is moved.

  • Degenerative disc disease. This can cause a reduction in the elasticity of the cervical spinal discs, causing pain. The disc may bulge or herniate, causing the pain to go into the arms resulting in numbness, tingling, and arm pain.

  • Spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis is a condition where the vertebrae become somewhat displaced resulting in the narrowing of the passageway for the nerves, so the nerve roots get trapped and the nerves then do not function normally. This is called subluxation and can result in neck pain going down the arm or arms, which can also cause tingling and numbness in addition to the pain.

Neck Pain Diagnosis

After determining the cause of your neck pain, and conducting a physical exam, which may include a neurological exam, the chiropractor will then develop a personal treatment plan for you. The exam involves the doctor observing your posture, testing your range-of-motion, and assessing what, if any, movement exacerbates your pain. Your chiropractor will also review your medical history to ensure an accurate diagnosis.

Your chiropractor will also feel your entire spine, not just your cervical spine, to check for any curvature, alignment problems, and check to see if there is a muscle spasm. The doctor will also check your muscle strength and reflexes.

In order to ensure your treatment plan targets and corrects the cause of you neck pain, your chiropractor may request other tests, including x-rays, MRI, or MEG.

Chiropractic Neck Pain Treatment

Chiropractic treatment includes neck adjustments by manipulation, massage, exercises for rehabilitation, traction, or other specific warranted treatment.

Neck adjustments, or cervical manipulations, which are generally done by hand, are for the purpose of realigning the vertebrae which are causing the problem so that pressure on the specific nerve is relieved. When the pressure on the nerve is relieved, range of motion is restored. This results in relief of pain as well as relief of the general feeling of soreness.

Chiropractic adjustments for neck pain may require adjustments to the middle (thoracic) and low back (lumbar) as well. Because the spinal column contains so many nerves, the sight of pain may be a good distance from area causing the pain. The cervical pain specialists at New City Chiropractic strive treat the whole spine and the whole patient, rather than just manage symptoms.

In addition to chiropractic neck adjustments, you chiropractor may also include therapeutic massage and strengthening exercises as part of your treatment plan. Strengthening the muscle groups that support your neck can provide direct neck pain relief and help prevent the pain from reoccurring.

Chronic Pain and Depression

If you suffer from chronic neck pain and headaches or migraines arising from your neck pain, there is a strong chance that you also suffer from depression. Studies have shown that between 30 and 80 percent of people with chronic pain are also depressed. They have trouble sleeping and concentrating, which interferes with their ability to perform their work duties and to interact with people socially.

Signs of depression include an overall feeling of sadness, like life is meaningless and there is no hope for the future. Concentration is difficult. There is a loss of interest in participating in activities that were previously pleasurable. When the cause of the pain is identified, and treatment implemented, not only is the pain relieved, but the depression is eased. When the depression is eased, then participation in meaningful life events is resumed.

This relief of pain and depression does not take place overnight. But if you follow the treatment plan you and your chiropractor develop together, you may find your life in general is improved, and your neck pain and headaches are relieved.

Neck Pain Prevention Strategies

There are a number of things you can pay close attention to in order to alleviate your pain or prevent it from continuing.

  • Good posture: Good posture refers to when you are standing, sitting, and lying down. Your chiropractor will demonstrate to you how this is done. It may take some time and practice for you to adjust your posture after years of practicing poor posture. You may need to do exercises to strengthen your core muscles which assist with you being able to stand up straight.

  • Take breaks: Whether you are driving in your car, sitting at your computer, pouring over textbooks, or other similar activity, you need to take breaks and stretch all of your muscles, particularly your neck muscles. Your chiropractor will show you how to do this.

  • Be sure your office equipment is correctly placed: Your desk chair should be adjusted so you are looking at your computer monitor at eye level. Your arms should be just a bit lower than your hips.

  • Hold the phone: Do not tuck the phone between your ear and your shoulder. This increases your neck pain.

  • Stop smoking: Smoking has been found to increase neck pain and reduce the effectiveness of treatment.

  • Stop carrying heavy bags over your shoulder: They put strain on the neck on the side where the bag is being carried.

Make an Appointment with a New City Neck Pain Chiropractor

If you suffer from neck pain, don’t let it interfere with your life for another day. Call the neck pain exerts at New City Chiropractic in Lakeland, Florida and let them get you on your way to a pain-free life! Call today or request and appointment online!