Neck pain is a common symptom, especially after an auto accident. Car wrecks are not the only cause of discomfort though. Some patients experience pain after waking up from a rough night’s sleep, or report pain from poor posture, bad work habits, and even spending too much time looking down on their phone or tablet. The bottom line is neck pain can be uncomfortable, and can lead to frustration, muscle spasms, radiating pain into the arms, and can even contribute to early degenerative changes within the spine. No one asks to experience neck pain, but the good news is that Synergy Chiropractic of Houston can help get you relief!

The cervical spine, or the bones within the neck, has the ability to move in a variety of directions. The neck muscles are responsible for helping your head to be positioned for balance, and stability. Neck pain can come from a variety of sources.

Causes of Neck Pain

In some situations, such as after a trauma (for example auto accident or fall) neck pain can come from a fracture within the cervical spine. Doctors use x-rays of the neck to identify fractures and dislocations that could be contributing to neck pain. When trauma is not the source of the neck pain, it could be coming from other structures within the neck. Muscles, ligaments, and tendons that do not work in harmony with each other can lead to trigger points, spasm, and cramping within the neck. When muscles are the primary cause of the symptoms, some patients will be diagnosed with torticollis. Torticollis essentially means that their muscles are in spasm so badly that the patient is no longer able to move their neck, and their neck is stuck in an abnormal position.

Neck Pain Relief

Degeneration and arthritis can also contribute to neck discomfort. Chronic, repetitive micro injuries can lead to arthritic changes within the cervical spine, and create pain. In some situations, the arthritis and degeneration is bad enough that the patient is no longer able to experience relief through chiropractic care, dry needling, or other non-invasive therapies, and the patient is forced to undergo surgical repair of the degenerative spine to provide relief. In addition to degeneration and arthritis, some individuals experience radiating pain from their neck that goes down their arms, even extending into their hands and fingers. Radiating pain associated with neck pain means that there is cervical disc involvement and radiculopathy (nerve involvement).

The doctors at Synergy Chiropractic of Houston are trained in helping patients to overcome their pain, whether it is caused from auto accidents, repetitive injuries, chronic degeneration, or arthritis. In many situations, we are able to provide safe, non surgical options through gentle chiropractic care to relieve a patient’s neck pain. Occasionally, when patients present with neck pain that is unresponsive to the conservative chiropractic care that is provided, a referral to an orthopedic surgeon is warranted. Whether a patient is experiencing neck pain with radiating symptoms or not, contacting Synergy Chiropractic of Houston allows the patient to get to the bottom of their neck pain, and begin the journey to a pain free life. We then create a treatment program that best fits the unique situation of each patient.