5 Common Sources of Neck Pain

Neck pain is a very common complaint.  The bones, muscles, and ligaments of your neck must be strong enough to support the weight of your head and flexible enough to give full range of motion.  There are many reasons why neck pain can occur, but some are more common than others.

1. Whiplash injury – whiplash is when the head moves back and forth (or from side to side) quickly.
2. Degenerative disc disease – the discs act as a cushion between the vertebrae, and they can wear thin for various reasons.
3. Migraines or headaches – oftentimes, migraine or headache sufferers will have neck pain as a symptom as well.
4. Muscle strain – the muscles that support the neck and head can become strained and injured.
5. Fibromyalgia – neck pain is a common complaint associated with fibromyalgia, which causes widespread pain in the body.

Neck Pain and Your Atlas Vertebra

Regardless of where your neck pain is arising from, it can all be related to an upper cervical subluxation (misalignment).  The atlas vertebra is the uppermost one in the neck.  It is designed very differently from all of the other vertebrae in your spine because it is responsible for the majority of the range of motion of your head.  Because of your atlas, you can look from side to side, up and down and tilt your head from left to right.  Since the atlas is so freely movable, it can also become misaligned more easily than the other vertebrae in your spine.  This can happen as a result of an accident or injury, repetitive motions, or wear and tear.

An upper cervical misalignment can, of course, lead to neck pain.  It can also cause premature wearing of the discs, bone spurs, pressure on the nerves, migraines and more.  Addressing this misalignment with a precise and gentle upper cervical adjustment gets to the root cause of the condition rather than simply treating symptoms on the surface.  As a result, you might find that upper cervical chiropractic care is an excellent approach for dealing with neck pain naturally.

References:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/neck-pain/basics/definition/con-20028772

http://www.healthline.com/symptom/neck-pain

About the Author

Dr. Miguel Flores, D.C

N8 Upper Cervical Chiropractic

When I discovered Chiropractic. My father took me to see a chiropractor, the first in the Philippines at the time. He examined me, found the cause of the problem and gave me my first adjustment- one that would set me towards a path of true health and well being.