Understanding Neck Pain

by | Oct 27, 2020 | Sports Medicine

Understanding Neck Pain

 Have you ever woken up with a crick in your neck? Do you carry around tension in your shoulders all day that creates pain in your neck? Neck pain is one of the most common complaints among adults. Up to 10% of the population has neck pain at any given time.

It can come on suddenly from a bad night’s sleep, or be the result of chronic poor posture. Luckily, neck pain isn’t usually a cause for major concern, but below you’ll find potential reasons for it’s’ cause and ways to relieve yourself from this pesky pain.

Anatomy of a Neck

The neck is made up of seven bones or vertebrae. The bones of the neck are referred to as the cervical spine. The vertebra of the cervical spine is numbered and referred to by its position in the neck, from C1-C7.  These bones are the start of the vertebral column and connect the skull to the upper back. The cervical spine has three primary functions:

  • Protect the spinal cord.
  • Support the head and its movement.
  • Provide a passageway for blood flow to the brain.

The cervical spine is supported by several other structures. Between each vertebrae is a disc. Discs are structures that act as shock absorbers. Additionally, each vertebrae is connected to one another by ligaments – strong connective tissue whose function can be thought of as a tape that holds the bones together. There are also large and small muscles throughout the neck. These muscles are connected to the vertebrae by tendons. Together the muscles, ligaments, and discs throughout the cervical spine work together to hold our head upright, maintain our posture, and allow for our full range of movement.

What Causes Neck Pain

The alignment of the vertebral column creates a continuous space occupied by the spinal cord that stems from the brain. The muscles of the neck and the entire body are controlled by nerves that originate in the spinal cord. These nerves control our movement and sensation. 

Neck pain isn’t typically the result of any underlying disease. Often neck pain doesn’t have a specific cause but is the result of an activity or behavior that puts strain on the neck muscles. There’s also the possibility that you can have a totally normal neck on an X-Ray or MRI, but still suffer from significant neck pain. Neck pain could be the result of:

  • Injury
  • Poor posture
  • Remaining in a single position for a prolonged period (e.g. sitting at a desk, driving)
  • Sleeping in an awkward position
  • Mental stress
  • Unknowingly moving the head or neck repeatedly and/or forcefully (e.g. during exercise)

Symptoms of Neck Pain

While different activities or behaviors will cause different symptoms, the most frequent symptoms of common neck pain are: 

  • Muscle tightness in the neck, shoulders, or upper back
  • Muscle spasms in the neck, shoulders, or upper back
  • Pain and/or fatigue while holding the head in a certain position for extended periods
  • Stiffness or difficulty moving the head in a certain direction
  • Headache

Treatments

Before treating neck pain, our team at Avid Sports Medicine conducts a complete assessment to understand the timeline and current symptoms to rule out dangerous causes. We follow this evaluation with a functional assessment to observe your neck strength, potential movement patterns, or mobility issues that could have led to pain. We then build a customized treatment program that includes one or a combination of these options in our clinic:

Exercise therapy

Exercise therapy is fundamental to relieving neck pain. Often neck pain is the result of any number of habitual physical activities or postures. Our team athletic trainers are able to develop thoughtful and progressive exercise programs that can help correct poor posture, improve mobility and strengthen the muscles in the neck.

EPAT (Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Technology)

Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Technology (EPAT) is a treatment that can help speed up the healing of stubborn body pain by increasing blood flow and metabolism using pulse waves deep in the muscles.

Trigger point injections

Trigger point injections can be used in areas of tight, tense muscles to provide pain relief and allow exercises to be done more freely.

Chiropractic adjustments

Chiropractic adjustments are a common therapeutic treatment for neck and back pain. Our team chiropractor uses manual adjustments and instruments in a hands on approach to target pain in the spine that may be caused by malalignment. Chiropractic care can also include a virtual home ergonomic assessment to improve work set-up.

Sports tissue massage

Sports tissue massage can also be an integral treatment strategy. When neck pain is the result of muscle tightness, massage therapy can help relax the musculature. Our team sports massage therapist evaluates the specific muscles causing the pain and can modify the massage accordingly to relieve tension.

Avid Sports Medicine offers a team-based approach for neck pain treatment in San Francisco. Our ultimate goals are to relieve pain while correcting dysfunction and working to prevent recurrence.  Schedule a free phone consultation to speak directly with Dr. Jow, our sports medicine physician.  This first step of discussing your issue will allow us to determine how our team of experts can help get you back to feeling like your best self.