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Neck Pain in Madison, OH

Problems with the muscles and vertebrae in the neck cause muscle spasms, pain and inflammation. The chiropractors at French Chiropractic and Wellness Center in Madison specialize in neck pain treatments for the residents of Painesville, Mentor and surrounding communities in Ohio.

What Is Neck Pain?

In today’s world, many people spend hours driving and hunching over their workstations. These activities can wreak havoc on our necks, and consequently, neck pain follows lower back pain as the second most common condition that chiropractors treat. In fact, millions of people seek chiropractic care at some point in their life after experiencing neck and arm-related pain.

Neck pain is a result of abnormalities in the soft tissues (muscles, ligaments, and nerves) and the bone and joints of the spine. Most commonly, chiropractors treat soft tissue abnormalities resulting either from injury or prolonged wear and tear. For many people, neck pain is also the source of upper back, shoulders, and arm pain. When neck pain is the result of a muscle strain, symptoms will include aches and stiffness, spreading from the neck to the upper arm and forearm. Shooting pain that spreads down the arm and into the hands and fingers is a symptom of a pinched nerve. A pinched nerve is a nerve entrapment in the neck. Symptoms include numbness, weakness, and pain in the hands or arms. The most common causes of nerve entrapments are disc injuries, though they are rare.

Types of Neck Pain We Treat

Causes of Neck Pain

Many different factors that contribute to neck pain, including trauma, overuse, wear and tear, and poor posture. These factors ultimately lead to neck pain thanks to injury of the structures surrounding the spine in areas such as muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons, discs, blood vessels, and nerves.

Trauma

When the neck gets injured as a result of sudden movement of the head in a backwards and forwards or sideways direction, it is referred to as whiplash. Whiplash is most commonly the result of a traffic accident, when impact or collision causes the head to jerk back and forth suddenly beyond its normal limits. Regardless of whether or not whiplash occurs from a car accident, workplace injury or sporting injury, the injury still warrants a thorough chiropractic examination.

Read more about how our chiropractors treat whiplash.

Overuse Or Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI)

Everyone gets the occasional aches and pains that come and go quickly, especially after we overdo it. However, if your symptoms are progressive, persistent or recurring, then you may need to see a chiropractor for treatment of RSI.

The human body has a constant process of breakdown and repair of its soft tissues. RSI develops when that natural balance is thrown off by mechanical irritation, from either increased use and/or impaired healing. RSI is an inflammation of the fibrous layer covering the soft tissues. Excessive repetitive physical movements, such as typing, can cause damage to the tendons, nerve muscles, and ligaments.

Many times, RSI in the arms and hands is the result of problems with the spinal joints of the neck and upper back. This happens because of the nerve supply, which controls both the tension in the muscles and blood supply between the arms and neck. RSI presents in several different ways, including tingling, coldness or numbness in the hands and tightness, discomfort, stiffness or pain in the necks, arms or hands. Someone with RSI may also find themselves feeling extra clumsy thanks to the loss of hand strength and coordination.

If you have any of these symptoms, see your chiropractor as soon as possible.

Wear and Tear

Wear and tear is the result of accumulated stress and trauma to your joints and bones over a prolonged period of time. The condition is also called osteoarthritis or joint degeneration.

Thanks to the pressures of everyday life, the spine endures a significant amount of weight bearing strain throughout one’s lifetime. When the spine isn’t properly taken care of, it can lead to degenerative changes that result in stiffness and reduced mobility. You can avoid spinal degeneration by taking better care of your spine. It is never too late to take proper care of your spine and reduce the effects of aging! Chiropractic care is a very effective way to help treat symptoms caused by wear and tear.

Posture

Poor posture is a leading cause of spinal pain. While it is often a result of either an existing muscle imbalance, pain or bad habits, poor posture can also contribute to these symptoms.

One of the biggest factors in spinal pain is sitting in a chair for too long. Prolonged sitting causes damage to the postural muscles. When you sit, the pressure on the discs in your lower back doubles, forcing you into a static posture, which has a negative effect on the muscles in the lower back, neck, arms, and legs. Muscles prefer to be dynamic. They need movement for the crucial blood flow that helps flush out lactic acid buildup and any other by-products in the muscles that result in pain.

Prolonged sitting also causes the muscles that support the spine to weaken. This muscular fatigue often results in a slumped posture in the upper back. A slumped posture increases musculo-skeletal stress, which can lead to medical problems such as headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain, jaw pain, pain in the shoulder blades, and numbness or tingling in the hands or arms. Over time, poor posture damages the spinal structures, causing recurring, chronic pain.

Unfortunately, once symptoms present, the problem is usually well-established. Our chiropractors emphasize both postural and ergonomic advice. A chiropractic treatment program will feature postural advice, manual treatment (chiropractic adjustments and soft tissue therapy), and rehabilitation exercises to help re-establish a flexible, strong, and pain-free posture.

Choosing The Right Pillow

Sleep is very important to the body’s repair process. A poor quality pillow can cause sleep disturbance, which affects overall health and mental fitness.

Your pillow needs to provide the most support to your neck. It is important to use a good quality and supportive pillow that holds your neck in alignment and supports your head. A good pillow allows your head and neck to stay in their correct positions while you move around in your sleep. This will relieve muscle tension in the neck, relax the shoulders, and correctly position the head, lower back, and arms, making for a better night’s sleep. The best option is an orthopedic pillow.

Orthopedic Pillows

An orthopedic pillow has both biomechanical and pain-relieving benefits. They should be considered an important component of chiropractic care, as they help treat acute and chronic neck pain, regardless of the cause. Orthopedic pillows aid in pain relief because they are tremendously supportive. They are generally made from foam. Some orthopedic pillows are made from memory foam. Orthopedic pillows are shaped, and have a bump or contour that provides the best possible support for the head and neck.

When you are in pain, it is important to deal with it sooner rather than later. The longer you ignore a problem, the more difficult it will be to get rid of it. Don’t ignore the early signs, even ones as mild as slight stiffness and tiredness in the shoulders. Although it is common, having pain is not normal.

Neck Pain Treatment

French Chiropractic and Wellness Center uses two forms of spinal decompression including flexion/distraction chiropractic tables, and a spinal decompression table delivering FDA-approved spinal decompression therapy. Manual adjustments by hand or assisted by an instrument are also employed for conservative treatment of neck pain.

Chiropractic care focuses restoring proper segmental motion to dysfunctional vertebral regions. This ultimately improves function and flexibility and reduces pain, as pressure is removed from the nerve endings that line the joint’s surface. French Chiropractic and Wellness Center is the best chiropractic facility for the residents of Madison, Ohio and its surrounding areas. If you are suffering from neck or back pain or discomfort, make an appointment for an evaluation as soon as possible. Our doctors will help you explore the best therapy options that will eliminate pain and improve your quality of life.

Isn’t it time you tried chiropractic care for you and your family? If you are experiencing any of the common symptoms of neck pain, please contact our office now to schedule an appointment.