If you have a neck, and I believe we all do, at some point in your life you are going to have neck pain. The neck is a complex series of joints that provide protection to the spinal cord and all the spinal nerves, while at the same time affording us an incredible amount of mobility we need to survive and thrive.

What is truly incredible is when you realize the neck must be strong enough to protect the very delicate nerve tissue of the spinal cord yet it must afford us the movement necessary to be able to turn our head 1800 degrees, and look up and down. With all that movement the neck must be strong enough to support the 10 pound head atop it even during these extreme movements.

The neural pathway from the brain to the rest of the body and back to the brain is contained and protected within the structure formed by the seven cervical vertebrae of the neck. An injury to this structure can be fatal.

The cervical vertebrae are linked to one another by discs, ligaments, and tendons that allow remarkable flexibility. The normal shape of the neck rather than straight, is a gentle curve, called the cervical curve.

Injury, irritation, inflammation or infection are all causes of neck pain. The chiropractic approach to treating neck pain is to find the source of the problem and correct it. Only when you find and correct the problem are you truly cured.

When the discs separating and cushioning the cervical vertebrae are herniated or even ruptured, usually due to trauma, intense pain will follow. In some cases, surgery may be needed.

Poor sleep posture

A cold draft on neck

slumping head forward

auto accident injuries

slips

laughing

Some natural disc degeneration occurs as we age. However, evidence of disc degeneration even in very young children suggests that stresses such as spinal imbalance, spinal subluxations, injury or emotional trauma cause undue wear and tear on our necks.

While taking an pain killer might make you feel better for the short term, it does nothing towards correcting the problem that caused your neck pain. A chiropractic doctor will get to the root cause of your neck pain and correct the problem.