Soreness, tightness, spasms, intense pain – you feel it when you wake up, or perhaps during your workday – rubbing your neck doesn’t seem to help, and you try to cover up the problem with medication hoping that it will eventually go way. Seem familiar?

Your neck, also called the cervical spine, begins at the base of the skull and contains seven small vertebrae. Incredibly, the cervical spine supports the full weight of your head, which is on average about 12 pounds. While the cervical spine can move your head in nearly every direction, this flexibility makes the neck very susceptible to pain and injury.

Your neck is incredibly engineered. It was created with its own built-in shock absorber called a curve or lordosis. The curve was designed to act like a spring and absorbs the shock of your head resting on your neck.

When your neck loses this curve ligaments supporting your neck become stretched and lose their ability to maintain a natural curve. This can happen due to a motor vehicle accident, chronic poor posture, or uncorrected vertebral misalignment.

Once your neck has lost its normal curve, your neck and shoulders attempt to hold your head in the proper position.

Unfortunately, they were not created to do this and they tire easily. This is when your neck becomes overworked and you begin to feel the tightness and muscle fatigue in the neck and shoulder area.

Studies reveal that for each inch that your head is carried forward from its normal position, an additional 10 lbs. of pressure is placed on the nearby neck musculature.

The neck’s susceptibility to injury is due in part to biomechanics. Activities and events that affect cervical biomechanics include extended sitting, repetitive movement, accidents, falls and blows to the body or head, normal aging, and everyday wear and tear. Neck pain can be very bothersome, and it can have a variety of causes.

If you or someone you know is suffering from neck pain, you may want to consider chiropractic care. You have nothing to lose but your neck pain!

Warm regards,

Dr. Joseph Porreca, D.C.
Doctor of Chiropractic