Why am I having Neck Pain?

According to the Australian pain management association, neck pain affects 1/5 people right now as you are reading this sentence. The 4th leading disability worldwide? Neck Pain! 30% of neck pain sufferers will develop chronic symptoms. Are you a statistic right now?

The basic background of the head and neck junction is essential to understanding why neck pain occurs. The lower 2/3 of your neck is fairly stable due to the anatomy of the bone structures. However, the upper 1/3 of your neck is far more mobile. This typically translates to be a complex and fairly unstable joint region. The atlas, the very first bone that supports the big bowling ball head, is a ring structure. Because there are no interlocking aspect to this bone, it sits freely sandwiched between the head and rest of the spine. This craniocervical region has major influence on brain communications with the rest of the body, including that of the muscles holding the head upright. Trauma, accidents, or injuries to the head &/or neck can disrupt this balancing act of the atlas and its surrounding supportive muscles which can lead to neck pain. The muscles of the neck must then work harder to maintain the head level and balanced against gravity.

Atlas: the very 1st cervical vertebrae supporting the head. If the atlas is out of alignment in relationship to the head and neck, pain and discomfort can result.

Although neck pain can come from a variety of causes, by far the most common is muscle tension. Disc pain and other soft tissue strains can also be a culprit. Misalignment in the upper cervical spine can exacerbate these conditions. Thereby, correcting of the craniocervical junction (the atlas misalignment) can typically allow those muscles to relax and the neck to return to a more balanced and relaxed state. This also has the potential to relieve strain on discs of the cervical spine.

*** Neck pain often times can be a precursor to headaches. Read more about headaches here

To see if you may benefit from a craniocervical assessment, contact your local NUCCA chiropractor.

Modern device causing physical pain?

A new side effect of the ubiquitous smart phone called “text neck” is the result of constantly looking down onto the screen at an uncomfortable angle. Because summer travel may present long waits at airports and riding long distances while texting and gaming, the potential for developing problems associated with the poor positioning of the head and neck increases. Handheld devices are particularly problematic because of their small size and the fact that they are often held while hands are resting on the lap. This means the screen is positioned at an angle requiring the viewer’s head to be tipped downward in order to see the small screen.

If we were to look under the skin and see this problem as an architect would see weight distribution of a bridge or building, we would note that the head, which usually weighs eight- to-14 pounds, is cradled, supported and attached to the rest of the body by a two-ounce atlas bone, or cervical bone 1 (C1). This bone not only supports the head, but also surrounds the brain stem, so any disruption of the head and neck relation- ship can also disrupt neural flow to any part of the body. Some of the life events that often act upon this little bone include forces experienced during a car accident, falling down, sleeping on an ill-fitting pillow and even the birthing process itself.

To understand the importance of the C1 and its affect on our daily life; imagine holding onto a big platter, as a waiter or waitress would. If we balance the plate around its center of gravity, we can hold onto it for a long time. But if we try to balance it off that center of gravity, it is a struggle to keep it from falling and the weight will also seem magnified. In order to keep the plate in that position, our finger muscles would have to tighten as they struggle to hold up the weight, as would the muscles of the wrist, forearm, elbow, shoulder, back and even the legs as they compensate for the shift in weight distribution.

If the body is forced to experience this misalignment daily, that causes muscles to become accustomed to being in this position— the new normal. Unless we experience the body’s alarm system (pain), we may not even notice that it is occurring. If there’s pain, the body is giving us a warning that something is wrong, and you have the opportunity to correct it before further damage occurs.

Many people silence or turn the volume down on the pain alarm with medications, and eventually, the alarm signal is managed or just shuts off. The problem is that while one can no longer hear the alarm, the reason has not been corrected, causing slow, internal and external deterioration, including degradation of posture, gait and nerve impulse conduction. All these problems can have unexpected, long- term negative health consequences, in addition to exacerbat- ing and creating other health issues.

To minimize stress, start by being aware of poor positioning and take action to correct it. When reading, working on a computer or using a cellular or handheld device, consider improving the body’s alignment by elevating the screen; working at a table or placing a purse, bag or jacket on our lap and resting the screen there. Always maintain at least a fist-size space between the chin and the chest. Looking any further down will put a strain onto the neck and the muscles all the way down to the low back. Also consider having at least a biannual check-up of the C1 by a dedicated upper cervical chiropractor.

“Text Neck”