Stiff Neck: a Syndrome
For people who have not been involved in any significant trauma, neck pain can be a puzzling occurrence: falling asleep pain free and waking up with a stiff neck is a rum deal. The nonspecific nature of this pain’s origin is the fruit of a collective effort of external aggravators: habitual poor posture, building stress levels, small, repetitive traumas and an ill-fitting pillow. Any and all of the above symptoms can contribute to a neck in need of nurture. When your stiff neck causes stifling pain with no respite, it may be time to pay a visit to our office at Associates in Chiropractic.
Excluding whiplash and other direct traumas to the neck, these are mechanical causes of neck pain which we treat at our office in Hackensack:
The most common malefactor is muscle strain: The levator scapula muscle is responsible for connecting the shoulder and cervical spine, and is controlled by the third and fourth cervical nerves. Everyday motions expose this muscle to strain. Gentle stretching and massage therapy are used to repair these minor injuries before they compound.
Pinched nerves occur when circumstances conspire to move a vertebra out of alignment and impinge on the nearby nerve. Pinched nerves are all-too-common and occur through accumulated poor posture; for example: sleeping with a pillow that does not allow your head to lie at a healthy angle.
With a gentle examination of your tender neck, we can determine if the condition is caused by small, sensitive facet joints which may be experiencing pressure. This is a condition called Facet Joint Syndrome: these structures are often implicated with muscle spasm, headache and back pain.
Chiropractic adjustment corrects these conditions, relieving pain and preventing the recurrence of a stiff neck. The first benefit we offer is an examination to determine the structural cause of your pain. We can help unstiffen your neck and help you institute exercises and stretching which will restore your range of movement. Call our office in Hackensack at (201) 342-6111 to schedule an appointment today.