SO… WHAT CAUSES NECK PAIN?

You don’t have to be in a crash to experience neck pain. Consider this partial list of causes:

·      Poor posture while sitting, standing, or sleeping

·      A worn-out mattress

·      An unsupportive pillow

·      Poor work ergonomics

·      Repetitive stressors

·      Stress (chronic, sustained muscle contraction)

·      Injury

·      Disease

Basically, anything that strains and compresses the neck can lead to neck pain.

Before we look at the different causes of neck pain in detail and what to do about it (specific stretches, strengthening exercises, nutritional advice, etc.), I urge you to seek the advice of a healthcare provider before trying anything I recommend.

POSTURE AND NECK PAIN

HOLDING YOURSELF FOR ANY LENGTH of time in an abnormal unhealthy position will negatively affect the health of your spine, cause neck strain, and may also result in headaches.   Bad Posture Can Trigger Neck Pain, Headaches, Arm Pain, and Hand Numbness.     Your head is like a bowling ball sitting on a golf tee. If your head weren’t permanently attached, it would fall off if not balanced on top of the neck. Similarly, if your head isn’t centered on your body’s plumb line (i.e., the spine), your neck muscles have to strain to hold it up. This can lead to tension headaches.   What causes your head not to be centered on the spine? Bad posture. Bad posture occurs when your head isn’t properly aligned over your spine and hips when you walk or sit. Slouching is a big contributor to bad posture.

A SILENT CAUSE OF NECK PAIN:

IT'S AMAZING HOW the anatomy at one end of your body can affect the anatomy at the opposite end of your body as well as many of the body parts in between. Here, at Drummond Chiropractic, we aim to get to the root cause of your neck pain, so you do not just get relief, but so that it LASTS!!!!

For example, if you have one leg that is longer than the other, be it from growing unevenly or the result of trauma (like a fractured leg that didn’t heal correctly), you may be experiencing neck pain as a result.

Leg Length Inequality (LLI)

 A longer leg does not cause leg pain, but it can cause neck pain.  It’s like a domino effect.  Standing on uneven legs causes a tilt in your pelvis (Figure below). 

For example, if your right lower right leg is shorter than your left, your right pelvis tilts down. This causes your spine to curve to the right, and then your neck has to compensate for the spine’s abnormal curvature in order to hold your head and eyes level. This creates neck pain. 

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HIDDEN CAUSES OF NECK PAIN, CHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL, OR BETTER YET, SCHEDULE A CONSULT WITH US TODAY.

All of our chiropractors specialize in neck pain.

HIDDEN CAUSES OF NECK PAIN:

Collapsed Arches can result in neck pain 

If you have equal leg lengths, yet your pelvis tilts, the tilt could be caused by one foot collapsing more than the other when you walk. The foot that collapses more will cause the pelvis to tilt just like a short lower leg would.

The figure above shows the left arch dropping, causing the left knee to rotate, the pelvis to tilt, and the right shoulder to drop. Now the neck has to strain to keep the eyes level with the horizon by curving unnaturally.

Your pelvis can also be misaligned if your heel bone is tilted. If this is the case, you may need a wedge to help prevent your heel from tilting.

A SURPRISING SOLUTION TO NECK PAIN

  The solution for collapsed arches is orthotics. An orthotic is a supportive device you wear in your shoes to provide additional support for your feet

If relief of your neck treatments are not lasting, your feet may be the root source of your pain. This is why we offer free foot scans to our patients. We want all our patients to feel free to scan their feet. Your feet are the foundation on which you stand. If your foundation is uneven, your whole body suffers.

CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE YOUR FREE FOOT SCAN

to see if your feet are the cause of your neck pain.

BEST SLEEP POSITIONS FOR NECK PAIN

The best way to sleep is on your back with contoured support.  If you don’t have the Innate Sleep System, you will need a contoured pillow to support your neck and a wedge pillow under your knees (refer back to Figure 6-3). When your knees are bent, your back flattens out and is better supported by the mattress.

Not only is sleeping on your back better for your neck and back, but it also keeps your face looking younger because it keeps you from rubbing the skin on your face against a pillowcase all night.

  If you are a side sleeper, sleep with a thick neck pillow so your neck remains in a neutral position.

If you sleep with your head tilted to one side, you will compress the nerves on the down side and pull on the nerves on the up side. The compression or stretching of the nerves can lead to neck pain and possibly headaches.

When sleeping on your side, you should also sleep with a pillow between your knees to keep your hips and thighs parallel to one another (helping to keep the lower half of your body in a neutral position). Otherwise, you may strain your pelvis, tailbone, hips, and/or knees as you sleep.

 

You do not have to keep suffering with neck pain.why 
We can help!  Why Wait?

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CHOOSING THE PERFECT PILLOW TO PREVENT NECK PAIN

I personally use the Pillo-Pedic pillow from Foot Levelers. Since it has a soft and hard side with thick and thin edges, the Pillo-Pedic pillow is like having four pillows in one. The design makes the Pillo-Pedic great for both side and back sleepers. The Pillo-Pedic is a chiropractic approved pillow.

If you are a side sleeper, lay the Pillo-Pedic with the hard foam side up. When lying on your side, you don’t want or need your head to sink into the pillow like you do when you are sleeping on your back.

If you sleep on your back, lay it with the soft side up. This allows your head to sink into the pillow and your neck to be supported by the firmer foam edge. 

The Pillo-Pedic has a thick and thin firm foam edge. Whether you lie on your back or side, place the thick edge against your shoulders if you have a long neck; use the thin edge if you have a short neck.

Foot Levelers has other pillows for your specific needs. They even offer pillows custom made from four measurements done by your healthcare provider.

If you wake up with neck pain, a headache, or numbness in your arms or hands, you are pinching your nerves while you sleep, and you need to change something. If you wake up with more neck pain than before you went to sleep, you probably need a new or better mattress and/or pillow. Talk to your healthcare providers and mattress stores to find someone who can help you with your specific needs.

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Drummond Chiropractic, LLC
Best Chiropractors in Bloomington
565 N Walnut St
Bloomington, IN 47404
(812) 336 - 2423