Neck and shoulder pain are incredibly common complaints which many people dismiss as part of normal life. In fact, pain should never be a part of normal life, and is instead your body trying to tell you that something is wrong!
Symptoms
Neck pain is very often associated with an issue elsewhere in the back – and may also be connected to headaches or migraines. Acute cases of neck pain are frequently associated with injuries and accidents (learn more here) whereas chronic cases are often related to poor posture or form part of a broader painful complaint. Neck pain ranges from a low-grade ache to a sharp pain, especially when turning the head or looking up and down.
While the entire spine is easily injured, the delicate nerves in the neck (the cervical spine) are especially prone to becoming irritated and inflamed. Injury can certainly be responsible, but in many cases, the root cause is a forward head posture, where the head has jutted an inch or two forward of its natural position. This leads to a loss of neck curve, meaning that the neck muscles are forced to work harder to support the head. The natural result is increased muscle tension, stiffness and pain in the neck, shoulders and upper arms.
Shoulder pain can often be associated with neck pain (this is common in the above scenario) but is also a common symptom arising from injury. Shoulder pain, especially in sportspeople, is a common complaint which can occur as the result of an accident, or simply from working hard in the gym or on the pitch. As well as being painful, some shoulder conditions can also impinge upon the ability of the joint to move naturally, making everyday life difficult and some sports impossible.
Treatment
Treatment of neck and shoulder problems usually begins with a postural assessment – Gentle Chiropractic spinal adjustments and soft tissue therapy are an excellent way to release muscular tension to correct the postural problems where they exist. When neck or shoulder pain is found the be the consequence of poor posture, working to correct this is usually sufficient to resolve the painful complaint. Going forward, simple home exercises and appropriate chiropractic maintenance care can prevent your posture from deteriorating again – causing another flare-up.
Where neck or shoulder pain is the result of an injury the approach will vary based on clinical guidelines. Neck injuries must be treated with great care, and x-rays as well as other diagnostic methods, will be used to ensure the safest and most effective treatment approach is chosen. In shoulder pain or mobility impairment cases which are linked to sports injuries we will often recommend you see our in house sports therapist, since sports therapy is ideally positioned to resolve these kinds of issues quickly. Going forward, Chiropractic maintenance care can assist in preventing the reoccurrence of injuries – although for active sportspeople the chance of re-injury does always exist.
Why choose Complete chiropractic?
At Complete Chiropractic, we have the appropriate diagnostic and treatment facilities on hand to correctly identify and resolve painful complaints of the neck, and many options available to address the complex issues which are often associated with the shoulder joint. As a Chiropractic Biophysics clinic, we are also ideally positioned to deal quickly and effectively with the postural issues which often lead to a neck issue and to prevent them from coming back.
Our in house sports therapy team are specially qualified not only to treat existing sports injuries but also to support your training goals and prevent injury in the future. We also have considerable experience working with stubborn and hard to resolve issues, such as frozen shoulder and in many cases will be able to assist you in returning to your normal routine much faster than without treatment.