Neck Pain Causes, Anatomy & Treatment
Neck Pain Causes
When a person wakes up in the morning with a stiff and painful neck the tendency is to blame the condition on one’s pillow, bed, or sleep position during that night. Other times a person can move their neck suddenly and feel sharp pain thinking that something suddenly slipped out of position or is pinching a “nerve”. Incomplete rehabilitation of past injuries, poor posture, poor work and living habits, prolonged sitting, and lack of periodic spinal alignments are some of the more common factors in the development of neck problems. Of course some neck problems are due to traumatic events such as a whiplash accident, a fall or a sports injury. Chiropractic care can be very helpful to people suffering from neck pain as it addresses the actual cause of the neck pain.
Neck Anatomy
The spinal bones or vertebrae of the neck consist of posterior joints called facets that link vertebrae to one another and serve to guide the motion of the spine. The intervertebral discs connect the bodies of the vertebrae and are composed of a form of tough cartilage that encases a soft material in the centre called the nucleus. The primary function of the disc is a shock absorber and a spacer between the vertebrae. Ligaments are tough, non elastic bands that hold the bones together and muscles are the tissues that contract to move the body.
In a canal located between the body and the facets of the vertebrae is the spinal cord. The spinal nerves exit the spine between the vertebrae and provide the energy to make the muscles and other organs of the body function. The nerves from the neck are responsible for the entire upper extremity including the shoulder, elbow and hand as well as structures of the head and neck.
Neck Pain Treatment
It is important for doctors of chiropractic to identify of the underlying causes of the condition for the a successful treatment. Chiropractors have found subluxations to be one of the most common causes of nerve irritation. The proper treatment for neck pain should depend on what presumably caused it. Chiropractors are licensed health care professionals highly trained to analyze and determine if a vertebral subluxation exists, and then to reduce and correct it if possible.
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