Neck pain is an interesting cascade of symptoms that leave many confused and searching for answers. The most interesting part about neck pain is where you feel your pain is rarely the true cause of your discomfort. Here is a short list of things that can cause neck pain.
Posture: As our society flexes forward at work, while texting and in the car, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in neck pain. Muscles become imbalanced, and the neck usually gets the brunt of the abuse. The problem with posture is, once a faulty memory is set, it rarely goes back to normal by just “sitting up straighter.”
Subluxation: As defined by the American Chiropractic Association: “A subluxation is a complex of functional and/or structural and/or pathological articular changes that compromise neural integrity and may influence organ system function and general health. A subluxation is evaluated, diagnosed, and managed through the use of chiropractic procedures based on the best available rational and empirical evidence.” Full spine subluxations are a hidden key to neck pain reduction and/or elimination. I have seen countless patients leave my treatment room free of chronic neck pain and headaches after removing the subluxations in their spine. Research recently showed chiropractic is effective in the treatment of neck pain when combined with exercise 60% of the time … compared to medical visits and pain meds 10%, and exercise alone 20%. Now those are some stats!
Breathing: Many people breathe from their upper chest instead of their diaphragm. This is a neurological dysfunction that needs to be fixed in order for neck pain to go away.
Inflammation: Most U.S. diets are pro-inflammatory, which means they create inflammation. The foods we eat increase acidity and heat within our bodies, which lead to an increased pain sensation and increased healing time.
Jaw clenching: Going to bed with unresolved emotion and stress can cause you to clench your jaw in the night. My personal theory is: once parts of the body become paralyzed in certain stages of sleep, the jaw and breathing muscles must stay active. Individuals literally “grind” their way through their problematic dreams. Also, if there is a jaw or upper neck subluxation, the brain will grind the teeth to attempt to make them congruent.
Emotion: Suppressed emotion can express itself in many ways (see breathing and jaw clenching). When the limbus brain, the emotional center, is overactive, it sends excess messages to the muscles of the body causing them to be chronically tense.
Posterior Line Fascial Restriction: Coined by Thomas Myer, the Posterior Fascial Line is a link of connective tissue starting in the feet and going all the way to the cranium. Checking fascial restrictions from head to foot is an integral aspect of eliminating many types of posterior body pain.
Healing Tip of the Week
If you have neck pain, check your breathing. Are you taking deep, even breaths all the way into your diaphragm and exhaling slowly? If not, try it!
