3 Common Reasons for Neck Pain

     For those who have encountered neck pain, you know how incredibly uncomfortable it can be. Since the neck is so close to the cranium, problems in the neck can also lead to headaches, vertigo and other unpleasant symptoms. To be clear, there are a limitless number of causes for neck pain. To get to the root of your neck problem, you need to be evaluated in person. However, here are a few of the most common causes of neck pain.

1.  Your posture is terrible. This generation is full of people who text frequently, sit at a computer all day or wear heavy backpacks. If you’re reading this article on your phone, is your head slouched forward? The average human head weighs about 12 pounds. The force it creates is drastically more when we slump our heads forward. This posture can make the muscles in the back of the neck overwork and is a significant role player in neck pain and headaches. Add up all the time you spend in a day with bad head posture (driving to and from work, sitting at a computer, texting etc.). Is it any wonder your neck hurts?

2.  You’re stressed out. Our bodies are always affected when we feel negative emotions. Guess what organ is really close to our necks? The brain. Oftentimes those who suffer from neck pain will notice their pain flares up when they get into a stressful situation. Our brain’s attempt to process stress, especially unresolved conflict in our life, can light up our nervous system even if everything else about us seems healthy. If you have neck pain, start recording when your pain is at its best and worst. You may start to see a pattern.

3. You lack proper muscular stability. You may say, my balance is just fine. I can stand on one leg without falling. That’s not quite the balance I’m talking about. Your brain’s number one goal is to keep you safe and stable. If one part of your body becomes unstable due to muscular weakness or poor motor control, then another part of the body has to pick up the slack. This is especially true of people with cervical (neck) spine disc issues. Why is that disc bulging? Your brain thought it would be a good idea to compress your disc because of your lack of strength somewhere else. This is often difficult to assess on your own so it is vitally important to see a qualified professional who can help you.

Pain is complex and anyone who says they fully understand it is lying to you. However, when a variety of factors related to pain are treated, relief is possible. At SPARC, we examine you and help address a wide range of variables that can be influencing your pain.