Neck Pain Explained
Neck pain is one of the most common conditions we see as Chiropractors. At Northwood Chiropractic Oxford, we have a strong focus on getting to the root cause of neck pain rather than simply managing the symptoms.
What Causes Neck Pain?
The neck is a complicated structure made up of bones, joints, ligaments and muscles. Inside of the neck, underneath all these structures, you have the spinal cord which is an extension of your brain (forming the central nervous system which runs everything in your body). A misalignment and restriction of one of the bones in your neck will cause pressure on the nerve as it leaves your neck to go to a variety of different structures within your body. This pressure will not only cause that area of the body to not function well, but can eventually lead to pain. This will either be from the nerve pressure, the joints involved or the surrounding muscles tightening up around your neck in the body's attempt to compensate for this issue (a little bit like a weight lifters belt). Often when this happens, massage to these muscles will only provide temporary relief as the underlying cause hasn’t been corrected.
Text Neck A Modern Neck Pain Culprit
A very common injury mechanism that we often see in clinic is referred to as "text neck". With the amount of time the average person spends on their phones, we are spending a lot of time looking down. As you can see in the following image, the amount of weight put on your neck increases exponentially the further the head goes forwards.
This sustained over a long period of time will eventually cause injury to the ligaments, joints and muscles of the neck which will then affect the nerves too. One easy tip to reduce this risk is to bring the phone up to your eye level as oppose to bringing your neck down to your phone. This can make a dramatic difference and avoid pain and dysfunction in the future.
How Can Chiropractors Help With Neck Pain?
There are a lot of different things that can cause neck pain. The better the cause of the problem is defined, the more effective we can resolve the issue. This is why a thorough and detailed assessment is essential to getting to the root of your problem and stop the issue from returning. At Northwood Chiropractic, we have a 5 step process to accurately identify the root cause of your problem.
Neck Pain - HELPED!
I have been treated by Steven Hulme for a few months now. Very thorough assessment and explanation of results/ treatment plan. I was having neck and shoulder pain on and off for over a year, Steven has now got me to a place where I’m not in daily pain.
Sam Hemani
Experiencing neck pain?
Book your detailed assessment with Dr. Steve Hulme (Doctor of Chiropractic) at Northwood Chiropractic Oxford:
📍 John Eccles House
The Oxford Science Park
Robert Robinson Avenue
Littlemore, Oxford
OX4 4GP
Conveniently located in South Oxford, our clinic offers easy access from Oxford City Centre, Cowley, Littlemore, Sandford-on-Thames, and surrounding areas.
