Neck pain can be a real pain in the neck. It can make it difficult to even turn your neck from side to side. Oftentimes, neck pain will lead to a headache and even a migraine. When most people have neck pain they will most likely head to their medicine cabinet and reach for the closest over-the-counter pain reliever. This can provide some relief from the symptoms of having neck pain but it will never fix the problem.

Why do I have neck pain?

The neck is a complex combination of vertebrae, intervertebral discs (the stuff in between them), joints, muscles, nerves and ligaments. All of these components come together to support the skull. It has a hard job and when something goes out of whack you can feel it in your neck and your head. It is not a lot of fun.

Stress in one reason you could have neck pain. Now, stress, per se does not cause neck pain. It is actually how your body reacts to stress that puts 'stress' on your muscles and joints. Everyday living can be stressful and it can take a toll on your body. When you have any kind of stress, your body tends to tense up in reaction to it. This is hard on your body.

If you are overweight, this is another factor in causing neck pain. Obesity tends to weaken the abdominal muscles which can result in straining the back and disrupting the balance of the spine. Your neck will do all it can to try and compensate for this imbalance.

Poor posture can also cause neck pain. Not sitting up straight and slouching over puts stress on your neck.

There are other factors, as well, such as osteoarthritis, age and other degenerative disc disorders.

What should I do?

It is important to have your neck pain diagnosed as soon as possible. The health care professional that has extensive experience dealing with neck pain is a chiropractor. A chiropractor specializes in treating spinal disorders. You may have thought of a chiropractor for treating low back pain but a chiropractor can treat neck pain, headaches and a variety of musculoskeletal problems.

A chiropractor will take a thorough patient history from you. He or she will want to know if there are contributing factors associated with your neck pain. He or she will see if you can benefit from nutritional counseling if it is found that obesity is a factor in your problem. The chiropractor will put you on a treatment plan that will include spinal manipulation to help to correct the misalignment.

Chiropractors do not administer drugs. Their approach to wellness is natural and non-invasive. There may be a recommendation for vitamin and mineral supplements but these are not prescription drugs. A chiropractor looks at the whole person and will find a way to wellness that will not just treat your symptoms but will try to work with your body to get you back on track.