Denver Neck Pain Health Center

Is there something in your life that is literally being a “pain in your neck”?  For many of  the patients we see at our Denver Neck Pain Health Center neck pain can be as simple as being from tight muscles, or as severe as a herniated disc, but all can be debilitating. A lot of people hold stress in their upper traps at the base of their neck, causing tight muscle spasms, which can lead to neck pain and headaches. There are three different sources of stress that could be causing your neck pain.

1. Physical stress – Improper posture can lead to increased stress on your joints, muscles, and most importantly your nervous system. When you sit at a desk all day or walk around with your shoulders and head slumped forward, you are drastically increasing the force on your neck ligaments and spinal discs. Just think, your head weighs roughly ten pounds. Imagine holding a ten pound bowling ball out in front of you with an outstretched arm. Most people probably wouldn’t last very long! When you develop this posture over time, which is called forward head posture, your ligaments deform and become stretched out, thereby inducing muscle spasms to try to stabilize your neck. In addition, there can be bone degeneration in your spinal vertebra and disc damage in your neck. All of these things can cause pain and dysfunction in your neck.

2. Emotional stress – Have you ever realized that when you become stressed or upset about something, somehow your shoulders creep up around your ears? You are holding your stress in your upper traps and chances are that you have tight muscles and tender trigger points. A few things that you can do are to find something relaxing, get a massage, talk to a friend, or take a walk to decrease the stress that you are feeling. Getting adjusted by your chiropractor also helps your body to better adapt to stress, which keeps your shoulders grounded, rather than up around your ears.

3. Chemical stress – With any kind of stress, it is imperative that you support your body with a healthy diet so that you can adapt optimally to the stress that you encounter. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Decrease your sugar, alcohol, and caffeine intake. Avoid processed foods and artificial sugar substitutes. Avoid dairy and foods high in gluten, such as bread and pasta. Brown rice pasta is a great alternative to semolina pasta and tastes great! All of these dietary choices will decrease your inflammatory response, decrease your pain sensitivity, and increase your vitality and energy. Start making healthy food choices and feel the difference!

Neck pain can be from a number of different causes. Whether it is physical, emotional, or chemical stress, make sure that your body is well adjusted so that you have the best chance to adapt to those stresses. Neck pain is not a normal progression in life, so do not let it be in yours!

<hr />Dr. Visentin is a Denver Chiropractor of Care Chiropractic specializing in safe, effective and natural neck pain relief.

Legal Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is intended for your general knowledge. It is not to be used as a substitute for professional advice, or for treatment for a specific condition. Always seek the advice of a professional Chiropractor or other qualified health care provider with questions you may have regarding any condition.

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 1st, 2010 at 3:24 am and is filed under Neck Pain Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.