Lewis Meltz, DC, FACO, Board Certified Chiropractor in El Dorado Hills, CA (916) 933-2707

Common Neck Pain Complaints

Avoiding Neck Pain
A whopping two-thirds of adults experience neck pain at some point in their lives (Am Fam Phys 2005 Jan 1;71(1):117-118). The intensity can range from mildly nagging to completely debilitating. Dr. Meltz often cares for patients with neck discomfort. This is because misaligned spinal bones (vertebrae) are a well-known cause of neck pain. To learn more about the spine’s connection to neck pain —and ways you can prevent being immobilized by it —read on!

Acute Neck Pain
There are essentially two broad classifications of neck pain: acute and chronic.
Seeing your doctor for pain can help you, but you should know the right questions to ask. Questions you might want to include range from cause and prevention to treatment and risk. There can be many reasons leading up to neck pain that don't include an accident or injury, and most people improve over time with conservative care (Am Fam Phys 2010 Jan 1;81(1):33-40)

TIP! Neck pain can be significantly worsened by long periods of standing. Standing up for a long time without relief will strain the muscles in the neck and upper back.

Acute neck pain, most often injury related, is sudden and intense. Acute neck pain tends to dissipate within a few days, weeks or months. However, once the pain resolves, lingering spinal misalignment's may predispose patients to subsequent conditions, including neck pain, shoulder pain, headaches and carpal tunnel syndrome. Acute neck discomfort has a variety of instigators.
Whiplash is one of the most common causes of acute neck injury. Many people are not aware that whiplash victims frequently don’t experience immediate pain. In fact, symptoms may be delayed for months, or even years. And by that time, permanent damage may have occurred.
Regular chiropractic care can lessen the impact of whiplash by strengthening the immune system and promoting overall good health. A study found that “fair or poor health before the collision was associated with severe neck pain in females.” A history of prior headaches and being unaware of the head’s position at the time of the collision also worsened whiplash (Spine 2006;31:E98-E104).

Water therapy is a great thing to do if you have back pain often. The water supports your body's weight so your bones and muscles don't have to do it. Water will help increase your array of motions as well. Most community recreation centers have water therapy.

TIP! Get a message. Many times people that are suffering from neck and midback pain will find a lot of relief with a little bit of touch therapy.

Forward Head Posture

Another common cause of acute neck pain is torticollis —a condition commonly known as “wry-neck.” This disorder ensues when the head is suddenly twisted to one side. For instance, following a difficult birth, newborns often suffer from wryneck. That’s why Dr. Meltz suggests scheduling baby’s first appointment as soon as possible. Traumas such as falls and sports injuries also result in acute neck pain.

Chronic Neck Pain
It is estimated that two thirds of people will suffer with a serious episode of back pain at least once in their life. Most people think of back pain as the result of a traumatic injury of some kind. Usually, it's many events that contribute to back pain.

TIP! Although many people may argue the fact, exercising is essential for anyone who regularly experiences neck or back pain. People with spinal complaints mistakenly assume exercise makes it worse, but in fact the opposite is true.

Chronic pain, on the other hand, is typically characterized by tenderness and aching lasting more than three months. Poor posture, such as improper ergonomics while working at a computer, can lead to chronic neck pain.

The Spinal Connection
The spine is actually a chain of intricately arranged bones (vertebrae) connected to form a single functional unit. This bony framework houses the spinal column. Nerves to all parts of the body enter and exit the spinal column through channels between vertebrae. When vertebrae are misaligned, transmission of nerves may be affected, sparking not only neck pain, but also a host of conditions, such as headaches, backaches, attention problems and infantile colic.

Back pain is only made worse when you get stressed and tense about it. You must develop relaxing habits to avoid causing sudden muscle spasms in your back. Get enough rest, and you may find heat relaxing to your muscles.

Poor Posture

TIP! Proper footwear can reduce neck and upper back problems. If your footwear is the wrong size or is uncomfortable, or unevenly worn your posture can shift, sending pain to your neck and back.

Dr. Meltz corrects misaligned vertebrae —a phenomenon known as vertebral subluxation — with safe and gentle maneuvers called chiropractic adjustments.

A Versatile Way to Prevent Neck Pain
Doctors of chiropractic, like Dr. Meltz, employ a multifaceted approach to prevention. In addition to suggesting regularly scheduled chiropractic care for neck pain, your doctor may encourage you to:

Change Positions Regularly
People who must remain seated for long periods, such as at work, or driving may find relief from neck back pain by placing their head in a neutral position. Practice by balancing a small object on top of your head to train your neck muscles what a "balanced position" feels like. Put your feet on the stool or floor, and keep them elevated to reduce or eliminate the pain in your back. If this does not work, do your best to sit straight and get a better chair for your office.

TIP! Sitting up straight is a good idea. Bad posture tends to put unnecessary strain on the back and spine.

Protrusion and Retraction

Exercise and Condition Your Neck Muscles
Doctors of chiropractic often instruct patients to exercise neck muscles. Extensive research shows that strengthening these muscles may lead to a reduction in chronic neck pain and prevent relapses.

In one evaluation, researchers divided a group of 180 women (between the ages of 25 and 53) into three groups: (1) strength muscle training, (2) endurance muscle training and (3) a control group that participated in stretches and aerobic exercise not targeted for muscle strengthening.

One good way to prevent neck pain from ever appearing is to get sufficient amounts of vitamin C and calcium. Failure to get enough of these essential nutrients can weaken bones. This will cause deterioration, which will translate into back pain of all sorts. Make sure you get some sunlight, eat foods that are high in calcium, and if you need to, take a supplement. You will do a great favor for your neck and back.

TIP! You can temporarily relieve neck and backache by lying down with knees at a 90 degree angle to your hips. You will find this to be an easy position to hold, and one that alleviates the back strain better than almost any other.

“Endurance trainees exercised neck muscles with head lifts, and strength trainees used an elastic rubber band to strengthen flexor muscles. Both groups performed dynamic shoulder and upper-extremity strengthening exercises using dumbbells, as well as trunk and leg muscle exercises and stretching exercises. Participants were encouraged to exercise at least three hours a week at home.” (Am Fam Phys 2004;69:427.)

Those who underwent strength training enjoyed a 73 percent drop in pain. The endurance group demonstrated a 59 percent pain reduction. In contrast, the control group reported a 21 percent reduction in pain.

Another scientific example of how exercise helps relieve neck pain involved 145- patients who received electromagnetic (infrared) therapy and advice on neck care. Of that number, 67- patients also participated in an exercise program with activation and strengthening of the deep neck muscles. After six weeks, the exercise group demonstrated “significantly better improvement” in disability score, pain and muscle strength than the control group (Spine 2005;30:E1).

Make sure that you drink plenty of water every day. Proper nutrition has many health benefits, not just alleviating neck and midback pain. Not only can you get a healthier body, but you can take some pressure off of your spine and help it significantly.

TIP! Begin with simple steps when dealing with back pain. You will often get much relief just by resting your back for a couple of days.

Before rushing out to the nearest gym, however, ask the doctor which exercises are best for your current condition

Good Posture Has Fringe Benefits
A study from Finland focused on the body postures of 3,185- girls and 2,808- boys as they related to neck pain. All of the youngsters were between the ages of 15- and 16-.
Avoid stressing and overworking the same back muscles, regardless of the physical position your body is in. Do all you can to avoid repetitive motions for a long period of time. Do not stay in the same position for too long, and stretch your muscles by walking around regularly.

TIP! Learning relaxation techniques can help with back pain. Proper breathing techniques can help those who suffer from pain.

The researchers discovered that prolonged sitting was associated with a high prevalence of neck, occipital and shoulder pain in girls. The same conditions sparked neck or occipital pain in boys. (The occipital bone is a curved structure that forms the lower portion of the back of the skull.)

Surprisingly, it wasn’t only sitting —but also what the adolescents were doing while they sat — that initiated pain. Watching television and reading books generated the most pain in girls, whereas playing or working with a computer was associated with an increase in neck or occipital pain in boys (Spine 2007;32:1038-44).

Whether its school or work, make sure your desk chair offers the proper amount of support for your lower back. If you do not support your lower back you can cause a lot of pain in your neck. If you feel the need for more support, place a pillow behind your back.

A plethora of scientific studies also link poor posture with neck pain in adults. If you have frequent back pains, smoking could be the main cause of your problems. Smoking can cause degeneration of your spinal discs by reducing blood flow.

TIP! You can protect your neck and upper back during those long days at the desk by simply taking walks on your breaks. Standing and stretching your body--legs particularly--helps you stretch back muscles.

Silence Your Stress
Stress raises blood pressure, sparks headaches and increases the risk of developing a host of diseases. It’s also a leading cause of neck pain.

While preventing stress is key, how you deal with it when it occurs also plays a significant role. Researchers from UCLA find that “coping strategies involving self-assurance resulted in better disability outcomes, whereas getting angry or frustrated resulted in worse pain and disability outcomes.” (Disabil Rehabil 2006;28:1319-29.)

An excellent method for relaxing is to allow your body to go completely limp while you're lying down. Isolate some areas in your body and then relax and flex them one by one. This concentrated tension and release tactic will loosen tension and relax the entire body.

TIP! You should never turn the other cheek towards your back pain. There are some who would rather ignore the pain in their back.

But here’s something that may surprise you: Scholars also discovered that participants with high levels of social support were more likely to experience clinically meaningful reductions in pain and disability.

Need to incorporate a stress reduction strategy into your daily routine? Ask the doctor for specific recommendations that will fit your lifestyle.

TIP! Do you suffer from neck and back pains? Try not to do a lot of twisting motions during the day. If you are doing some house cleaning or some lifting, the twisting motion can make back pain far more severe and complicated.

Manage The Drama at Work
A wealth of research indicates that individuals who are unhappy with their work environment, especially those who feel that they have a lack of control over their work lives, are at a heightened risk of neck pain. If your work is emotionally disabling, consider making productive changes —before it becomes physically disabling.

Buy a New Pillow

Ideal Support

There are a number of pillows specifically designed to reduce neck pain. The key is to find one that keeps your neck in perfect alignment with your spine.

If you are sitting for long periods of time, your back is at risk. You should buy a specialized back cushion that is designed to ease back pain. These can be found at many different types of stores including pharmacies and big department stores. There are a lot of different kinds of pads for support, so you will surely be able to find one that works for you.

TIP! If it's necessary to be sitting in a certain position for an extended period, such as on a plane or in the movies, cross your legs. Crossed legs engage the muscles of the back and hips, thus maintaining physical activity during a time that could otherwise trigger pain.

And less is definitely more when it comes to the number of pillows you sleep with. Using an overstuffed pillow, or piling up more than one pillow, causes undue neck strain. If you aren’t sure if you need a new pillow, bring your current one to your next chiropractic visit. The doctor will be happy to advise you.

The Chiropractic Solution to Neck Pain
Life can sometimes be a pain in the neck! But it doesn’t have to be. Chiropractic’s all-natural prevention strategy can help keep you and your family pain free. Sleeping on your back or stomach can cause a lot of strain on your neck leading to pain in the morning. By resting on your side, though, you can sleep with an even weight distribution.