Like back pain, neck pain is a condition that can make life unbearably difficult. Just look the wrong way or move your head too suddenly, and the next thing you know your eyes are tearing up from the pain. You can forget about driving because you can’t even check your blind spot without getting a jolt of pain as you turn your head.
Neck pain is usually associated with the following structures in your neck:
- Vertebrae and discs
- Facet or zygapophyseal joints
- Lordosis (the natural curve of your neck)
- Muscles and ligaments
Problems with these various structures are typically due to certain bad habits that people develop over the years. If you’re having trouble identifying where the pain is coming from and what bad habit is causing it, you should visit your local Toronto chiropractor for advice.
A chiropractor will do an assessment that involves a physical test as well as a discussion about your pain and lifestyle, including your occupation and how you sleep. All this information will be used to determine the best treatment options, and they’ll also make recommendations that you can make to your daily life that will help with pain management.
Reasons for Neck Pain
Here are some of the most common causes of neck pain and what you can do about them.
Sleep Position
It’s not uncommon for people to wake up with a stiff neck in the morning if they’ve slept in a wonky position the night before. Twisting your head while you sleep puts stress on neck joints and can compress and temporarily irritate them. This can cause the joint to become inflamed and result in joint structure irritation from the nerves that exit from your neck, causing pain.
The primary reason for the head to twist while sleeping is if someone is a stomach sleeper. If you want pain relief then it’s time to break this habit and start sleeping on your back.
Wrong Pillow
The wrong pillow can cause compression on your neck which in turn leads to pain. This can happen with thick pillows that force your head forward if you sleep on your back. Instead, get a small pillow that supports your head and fills the natural curvature of your neck.
Remember that pillows are not one size fits all, so you’ll need to test out different ones and read reviews to see which pillows work best for you.
Disc Degeneration
The main cause of disc degeneration is a loss of the normal cervical curve (lordosis). This curve loss can happen for two main reasons. The first is from sitting in a slouched posture over the course of many years. The second is due to an injury (like a sports injury or whiplash from a car accident).
Becoming aware of your posture and correcting it will slow the disc degeneration down. Various exercises like neck retraction, pectoral stretch, and the SCM and scalene neck stretch will help reverse the effects of the chronic forward posture.
Pain Relief in Toronto
Hopefully, these tips will help you find relief from neck pain. Remember to always discuss your options first with a professional, like a chiropractor in Toronto, before making any major lifestyle changes.
You may be interested in reading, “Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle in Toronto“.
