What is the cause of your neck pain?

One of the most common complaints that patients come in with is neck pain and a smaller percentage of them also have radiating arm symptoms like pain, numbness, and tingling.  Most of us were trained to think that pain is a bad thing from when we are little kids.  If you have pain you take a certain pills and the pain goes away.  The reality is, pain is one way that your body tells you that something is NOT right. It is important to find out what is causing your neck pain before you start treating it.  A thorough examination (including a posture exam) and most likely x-rays are necessary to properly find the cause of a patient's neck pain.   Vertebrae in the spine which are out of place can pinch/irritate the nerve and produce a substantial amount of that neck pain and can even cause headaches.  Posture is an important tool and is like a window to the spine.  Where your posture is your spine and body follows.  Forward head posture has been a key posture to evaluate for when patients have neck pain and especially headaches.  Forward head posture (FHP) is so prevalent today that it has been labeled 'tech neck' by the medical community!  Young kids today are being diagnosed with 'tech neck' and suffering with neck pain and headaches more now than ever!

 How do you know if you have forward head posture (FHP)?  It's easy to do on your own.  The ear canal should line up with the middle aspect of the shoulder from the side view.  This is just a quick screening for home.  I use posture software in the office to be more specific and quantify the forward head posture.   The head is approximately 12 lbs. and for every inch of forward head posture, an additional 10 lbs. of pressure is added to the neck and also down the spine.  The average person today that I see has at least 1.5 inches of forward head posture!  That's like carrying more than two heads all day and every day.   Eventually, neck pain, upper back pain, and headaches are the result.   How do you start to correct forward head posture    Special prescribed postural exercises, postural spinal adjustments, and postural stretches/traction

are paramount parts of correcting postural problems.   I also have to learn about a patient's work environment and even sleeping preferences  to make ergonomic recommendations to help preserve our postural correction achievements.  When you choose a Chiropractor, you need to make sure that they check and correct postural problems!  A very small percentage of Chiropractors focus on checking and correcting posture.   If you every have any questions, concerns, or just want more information, give the office a call at 727-807-5258 or message me on Facebook.  I return those messages as quickly as I can.   Have a great week!