More and more patients are chasing Oklahoma City neck pain relief. Neck pain can be a widespread incident. It may be due to muscle strain that resulted from poor posture. This condition usually happens when you hunch over a computer desk at work or lean over a workbench for a long period. Osteoarthritis can also cause neck pain.

If you notice your neck pain comes with the loss of strength or numbness in your hands or arms, please seek medical attention. Also, be warned of shooting pain in your shoulder that spreads through your arm. These may be signs of a severe condition like a stroke.

Neck Pain Symptoms

If you suffer from neckaches, you may notice the following:

Pain that gets more intense when you hold your head in one place for a long time, such as driving or working in front of a computer
Loss of range of motion when you do head movements
Headaches
Having muscle spasms or tightening of muscles

Neck Pain Causes

The neck is very movable and has the critical job of supporting the weight of the head. Due to this function, it is quite vulnerable to injuries and issues hindering movement and causing pain. Neck pain may be due to any one of the following problems:

Injuries

An automobile accident can cause whiplash injury. It occurs when the head moves back and forth suddenly, putting pressure on the soft tissues of the neck.

Diseases

Meningitis, rheumatoid arthritis, or cancer can also be culprits behind neck pain.

Worn out joints

Like other joints of the body, the neck joints usually wear out as people age. The cartilage in between your vertebrae begins to deteriorate, causing osteoarthritis. Due to this wear and tear, the body produces cartilage, which creates bone spurs. When this happens, it affects joint motion and causes pain.

Muscle strain

Overusing your neck muscles can strain them. Activities like slouching forward while typing on the computer, looking down repeatedly at your smartphone, or other similar repetitive movements can give you neck strain. In addition, grinding your teeth or reading in bed face down can strain the neck muscles as well.

Compression of the nerves

Herniated disks of your neck or bone spurs can put pressure and tension on nerves that branch out from your spinal cord.

When Is Neck Pain An Emergency?

Neck pain is rarely serious by itself. This discomfort usually clears up within a few days. However, there are some severe cases where you should seek the care of a doctor, such as when:

Pain is severe
Pain radiates down your arms or legs
You had a driving accident, car crash, or a fall
Pain lingers for a few days with no clue of getting better soon
Tingling, numbness, weakness, or a headache accompanies pain
You had a sporting injury that caused trauma to your head or neck

Home Care Options for Neck Pain

There are many methods you can do at home to help alleviate your neck pain:

Good body posture

When standing or sitting, your shoulders should always be in a straight line over your hips with your ears positioned directly over your shoulders.

Taking regular breaks

When traveling long distances or working long hours sitting at a desk, be sure to take a break. Get up and move around. Try to incorporate stretching exercises for your neck and shoulders.

Sleeping in a good position

Your head and neck should always be aligned with your body. A small pillow can help support your neck. The ideal sleeping position is your back and your thighs are elevated on pillows. This position keeps your spinal muscles flat.

Quitting smoking

Smoking is a bad habit that puts you at an increased risk for neck pain.

Not carrying heavy bags with straps over your shoulder

The weight and pressure of your bag loads can add stress and strain to your neck.

Not cradling the phone between your shoulder and ear

If you are talking on the phone, you can use a headset or a speakerphone instead. The hunched position from this activity causes strain and pressure on your neck muscles.

Taking a load off your neck

A simple trick to remember: rest your neck muscles by lying down and letting them relax. When you use a pillow, make sure that the neck has full support, and your spine is straight.

Ice therapy

Ice relieves pain and inflammation. From time to time, you can put some crushed ice in a plastic bag and apply it to the neck for about 15 minutes.

Heat therapy

Heat increases blood circulation and eases muscle stiffness. Use a hot compress to relieve the pain. You can also stand beneath a hot shower. However, do not apply too much heat as it can make things worse and cause more pain. It would also be helpful to follow up on your heat application with a few minutes of cold compress.

Oklahoma City Neck Pain Relief Thanks to Upper Cervical Chiropractic

All these remedies can help with your neck pain. However, if you find little or no relief at all after implementing the above recommendations, then consider this natural relief. Upper cervical chiropractic care has been effective in dealing with neck pains. In fact, many patients are happy to attain a level of comfort from their neckaches after receiving this therapy.

Here’s a fact: the neck pain you are coping with may be due to a misalignment in the upper bones of your neck, the atlas and axis vertebrae. These bones are prone to misalignment due to their location and function. It only takes a slight misalignment to produce problems throughout the body, including neck pain.

Precision Chiropractic in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma can find these micro misalignments and realign them. Dr. Jennifer Sheppard uses a gentle, low-force correction to help encourage the bones to return correctly into place. Her technique is pain-free and allows the body to begin healing naturally. Fill out this form to start benefiting from upper cervical chiropractic and make neck pain a thing of the past.

To schedule a consultation with Dr. Sheppard, call our Oklahoma City office at 405-378-3100. You can also click the button below.

If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.