Neck Pain

Our head weighs about 10 to 12 lb. It’s like a bowling ball sitting on top of your neck. Now that bowling ball can weigh from 60 lbs or more when you are looking downward checking your text message on your phone or working on your laptop. Can you imagine holding a 60 lb bowling ball on top of your neck for hours every day? This puts tremendous stress on your neck causing stiffness, tightness, and pain, in the upper back and the shoulders. Getting a headache behind your head is also a common symptom. If not corrected at an early stage, it can lead to a herniated disc of the cervical spine with radiating pain, weakness or numbness in your hands or fingers, which are all more complicated conditions that may be irreversible for correction.

Treatment

First, cervical examination including range of motion, orthopedic examination, and palpation of the cervical spine is needed. An X-ray is recommended to see the alignment of the cervical spine. If any radiating pain, numbness or tingling sensation in the arms, hand and finger are present, then an MRI study of the cervical spine is necessary to rule out a herniated disc or other disc-related diseases. Chiropractic adjustment is recommended to realign the posture changes. Cervical spinal decompression is needed to increase disc space of the spinal column, proper posture, ergonomic education and exercise to improve the function of daily activities.