If you are reading this because you are having neck pain, you are not alone. According to the National Spine Health Foundation, nearly 100 million Americans experience neck pain annually. It might seem like a common problem you will have to deal with for the rest of your life, but in reality, it’s common but absolutely NOT normal.
How do so many adults and now even kids have neck pain? Well, it’s turned into a tech-driven world over the past 20 years, and everyone has their head down in front of a computer, tablet, or phone for hours each day. Also, it can be a combination of factors, including poor posture from the way people sleep, sit, or work; sports injuries; exercise; and trauma. These bad habits, combined with repetitive motions, can create a perfect storm for neck pain.
After caring for thousands of patients over my nearly 20 years of practice, I have found that it usually stems from spinal subluxations (misalignments). Your spine should be straight from behind, with level hips, and, from the side, we should have stability in the lower back and neck. What I find regularly with patients who come into my practice with neck pain is that they have lost the natural curve in the neck (cervical spine), or it bends where it should be straight. This puts abnormal tension on the nerves that the spinal bones should be protecting, and that affects the muscles, tissues, and organs that they control in that area.
The sooner you address the root cause of your neck pain, the better. The longer that you wait to correct the neck, the worse it can get. Subluxations can turn into disc bulges or herniations or even degenerative discs/bones in the neck area. In most cases, when you feel pain regularly in your neck, remember that the process took years to form, and you are just now noticing the problem. Letting this go untreated can typically result in not only increased pain, but decreased range of motion, radiating pain traveling down the arms, muscle spasm, degeneration of discs, and even organ dysfunction like reflux, thyroid issues, headaches, allergy and sinus issues, and even balance problems.
Corrective chiropractic care is very effective at correcting the root cause of neck pain. The Annals of Internal Medicine published a 2012 study showing that 12 weeks of chiropractic neck adjustments were more effective than medication for neck pain in a group of 272 people, with follow-up at 8, 12, 26, and 52 weeks. A 2019 study in the Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapeutics found that neck adjustments reduce neck pain by modifying levels of neuropeptides in the blood. By correcting the neck (cervical spine) and restoring it to its normal state with specific adjustments and targeted muscle rehab, patients can recover and return to a normal life. This should always be the first option, not the last, for people with neck pain. According to the Journal of Spine, 42.7% of patients who saw a surgeon first for neck pain underwent surgery, compared with only 1.5% who saw a chiropractor first. The choice is very simple. Chiropractic works and is much safer!
$49 New Patient Special
Includes Consultation, Spinal Thermography, Postural Evaluation, Digital X-Rays, 1st Adjustment & Report of Findings
How Our Care Plan Works
1. Identify The Root Cause Of The Problem
Schedule a consultation with one of our doctors to review your history and perform a detailed exam. If necessary, we will include X-rays to determine the exact cause of your pain and develop a plan to resolve the problem.
2. See Exactly What Is Wrong And Get A Plan On How To Fix It
After your first adjustment, the doctor will observe how your body responds and determine the best course of action. Our goal is to not only provide immediate pain relief but also to ensure your long-term health and peak physical function.
3. Regain Your Freedom To Do Everything You Want To Do
Receive the specialized care you need to address your health concerns today. Our goal is to help you return to the activities you love, ensuring that pain no longer dictates your lifestyle or prevents you from living life to the fullest.
How We Treat Neck Pain In Fort Worth, TX
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
There can be multiple factors contributing to the neck pain you may be experiencing. Trauma, work, sleep, exercise, repetitive movements, and many other factors can all contribute to a patient’s neck pain. We want to find the root cause so we can help you correct it! To help identify the root cause, our office uses posture evaluation, range-of-motion testing, thermography (when nerves are damaged, they generate heat), and digital x-ray analysis, which shows us exactly where to adjust the patient.
Digital X-rays
This is the most important test that we do to identify what is causing your neck pain. We can identify subluxations in your spine based on the X-ray findings and see exactly where you need to be adjusted. This is the safest way to have chiropractic care. Not seeing is guessing, and we don’t guess with your health! We perform seated X-rays in our office because, when you are seated, your spine is under more stress, allowing us to identify problems that might be missed in a standing position.
Specific Chiropractic Care in Fort Worth, TX
When a patient comes into our practice with neck pain, we will check their spine, specifically in the neck region, for subluxations. What is a subluxation? It’s when the spine gets so out of alignment that it starts to compress, stretch, or impinge the spinal cord or the nerves that run through muscles, tissues, and organs. This results in localized pain or radiating pain down the arms, muscle spasms, bulging or herniated discs, osteoarthritis, and even organ dysfunction such as reflux, thyroid issues, headaches, high blood pressure, dizziness/vertigo, and allergy and sinus issues. When a patient starts to get adjusted, the vertebrae are realigned to their normal positions, taking pressure off the nerves and the spinal cord within the neck bones, allowing the area to heal and function better. Most neck pain is caused by structural problems (subluxations), and our office focuses on correcting the root cause of your pain. Medication doesn’t fix a structural problem, so the 1st option to get better with neck pain should be chiropractic!
Custom Therapeutic Exercise Plan
Bad habits and years of poor posture can not only cause neck misalignments (subluxations) but also create very poor muscle memory, worsening the neck and its supporting muscles/tissues over time. When these muscles and tissues break down, they can pull the vertebrae out of alignment and can be a cause of your neck pain. That’s why in our practice, we adjust the spine AND rehab the surrounding muscles to retrain the body to hold the adjustment in place longer. This helps us restore a patient’s spine to a more normal position, which speeds healing and helps achieve a more long-term result. We utilize cervical traction therapy with our patients to warm up the neck and upper back area before they are adjusted. This exercise warms up the neck and upper back muscles and discs, making the adjustment more effective and longer-lasting. We also use cervical rolls to lie on after the adjustment to help mold the neck into a more natural curve. We also use head/chest/shoulder weights to help strengthen the surrounding neck muscles to hold the adjustment longer.
Nutritional Supplementation
Along with our customized adjustment and rehab plan to help our patients with their neck pain, we also provide resources to help reduce inflammation naturally. Resources such as fermented turmeric, magnesium glycinate, bromelain, bone broth collagen, bone broth protein, and organ peptides for joints can also help reduce inflammation in the neck muscles and help build stronger muscles and tissue.
Common Causes of Neck Pain in Fort Worth, TX
Bulged or Herniated Cervical Discs
What’s the difference between a bulging disc and a herniated disc in the neck, and how can they be helped with corrective chiropractic care? The most common area for a bulge or herniation in the cervical spine is at C4/C5. A bulging disc happens when the outer layer of the disc, called the annulus fibrosus, protrudes out but doesn’t tear. A herniated disc occurs when the annulus fibrosus tears, and the inner layer of the disc, called the nucleus pulposus, leaks out onto the spinal cord or the surrounding nerves. Both can cause significant pain and are usually the result of a person losing the natural curve of the cervical spine (neck). Losing this vital curve results in abnormal force on the discs between the vertebrae, compromising their integrity and pushing them posteriorly. Traction and spinal adjustments effectively reduce pressure on the nerves, spinal cord, and discs. Restoring the natural curve of the cervical spine is critical when finding a solution to your disc issue.
Degenerative Disc Disease
DDD is a condition in which the entire disc breaks down or degenerates, leading to drying and withering due to a lack of nutrition. There is no blood supply to a disc. It gets its nutrients through proper spine/neck movement. When the spine/neck gets stuck (subluxates) and the problem isn’t addressed, over time the discs starve and break down. Certain things increase your chance of disc degeneration, such as smoking, drinking, being dehydrated, and a sedentary lifestyle. It can be devastating to the body when this occurs, as movement becomes painful, it can weaken the muscles, cause disability, and it can spread up and down the neck and even cause radiating pain down the arms. One of the best ways a person can help with DDD is through corrective chiropractic care. By restoring motion to the vertebrae through adjustments, the discs hydrate more effectively, slowing the degenerative process and helping patients function better.
Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis is a condition in which the spinal canal narrows, causing pressure on the spinal cord or the nerves that exit the spine. This is most common in the lumbar and cervical spines. Symptoms include back or neck pain (depending on the area involved), weakness, and numbness in the extremities that worsen with activity but improve with rest. Structurally, the lumbar and cervical curves are often lost, leaving the spine very straight, which can stretch the spinal cord and narrow the spinal canal. We see great improvement with our patients when we help restore the affected part of the spine to a more normal curvature.
Subluxation
This is the term used to describe when the neck misaligns and compresses, stretches, or impinges a nerve root or the spinal cord. This results in interference with communication between the brain and the muscle, tissue, or organ the nerve controls. This can result in pain, numbness, and weakness in the extremities. This can also result in pain and a limited range of motion in the lower back and neck. In the case of the neck, this can even result in radiating pain down the arms, muscle atrophy, and even organ dysfunction, such as headaches, high blood pressure, dizziness/vertigo, GERD, and thyroid issues. We identify and correct subluxations by performing a series of tests: posture, range of motion, thermography, and x-ray analysis. We correct subluxation by gently adjusting the vertebrae back into proper alignment, thereby taking pressure off the nerves. This causes the body to calm down and begin healing toward a more normal state. This results in less pain, more strength, more energy, better sleep, and better organ function. Chiropractors are specifically trained to locate and correct spinal subluxations more than any other healthcare professional.
Facet Joint Dysfunction
Facet Joint Dysfunction refers to issues within the facet joints of the spine, potentially contributing to neck pain. These joints facilitate smooth movement, but dysfunction can result in discomfort and limited mobility. Factors such as aging, injury, or poor posture may contribute. Seeking professional evaluation is crucial for accurate diagnosis and tailored treatment, which may involve physical therapy, exercises, or in severe cases, surgical intervention. Addressing Facet Joint Dysfunction promptly can mitigate neck pain and enhance overall spinal well-being.
Subluxation
This condition occurs when one vertebra in your neck becomes misaligned. This causes the nerves and muscles to be pinched and damaged, which can lead to a variety of symptoms, including the following.
- Severe pain in the front and back of your neck
- Tingling or numbness to your fingers, hands, or arms
- Weakness in your fingers, hands, and arms
- Frequent headaches or migraines
Stretches for Neck Pain
These are some helpful stretches for your neck pain. Now, if your neck pain has been going on for more than 4 weeks with no improvement,t you need to consult a corrective care chiropractor. But to help you in a pinch, these 3 exercises can relieve it.
Upper Trapezius Stretch: While standing or sitting, place your right hand on the back of your head. Take your left hand and tuck it behind your back. Using your right hand, gently pull your head toward your right shoulder. Hold this for 10–15 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
Levator Scapulae Stretch: While standing or sitting, turn your neck 45 degrees to the left. Bend your neck downward (imagine you’re looking into a shirt pocket). You can use your left hand for a greater stretch. Hold this for 10–15 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
Neck Flexion/Extension: Sit or stand upright. Take your chin and slowly look down as far as you can go. Hold for 23 seconds. Then slowly look up and take your head as far back into extension as you can go. Go slowly, as this can be sore for the first few reps. Do 10-15 reps, and pause slowly at each flexion/extension.
Neck Rotation: Sit or stand upright. Start with your face in a center-neutral position, then slowly turn your chin to the left as far as you can. Then do the same to the right side. This will loosen your neck and increase your range of motion. Do 10-15 rotations.
Check Out Our Location Near You
3250 Hulen Street, Suite 140, Fort Worth, TX 76107
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my neck pain is serious?
If you are having limited range of motion and or pain when you turn your neck, flex or extend your neck, move your shoulders or move your arms, if you start to get headaches, numbness and tingling down the arms/hands and the symptoms last more than 2-3 weeks then it isn’t a simple muscle pull at that point and you should consider seeing a chiropractor.
What causes neck pain?
In most cases of neck pain, the cause is structural, meaning the cervical spine is misaligned or subluxated, which can put pressure on the nerves, spinal cord, or neck muscles.
How should I sleep with neck pain?
It’s best to sleep on your back with an ergonomic pillow that mimics the natural curve of your neck to properly support it. If you sleep on your side, make sure you use a pillow that keeps your neck in a neutral position and doesn’t compress your shoulders.
Why won’t my neck pain go away?
If you have pulled a neck muscle, the pain should subside within 2-3 weeks with rest and ice. If it isn’t getting better with rest and ice, then it’s most likely a problem with the alignment of your cervical spine.
Can a chiropractor in F. Worth, TX help with neck pain?
Yes! People who go to a chiropractor as their first option for neck pain typically get better with a more natural approach, and they don’t have to resort to medications or even surgery, as they might if they went to an MD first.
When should I see a chiropractor in Ft Worth, TX, for neck pain?
The sooner the better! The longer you let the problem go untreated, the harder it can be to restore the spine to a normal state.
How can you tell if your spine is out of alignment?
If you notice a restricted range of motion, pain with movement, back muscle spasms, abnormal posture when you stand in front of a mirror, or numbness or weakness in your lower back or legs, you should see a chiropractor right away.
$49 New Patient Special
Includes Consultation, Spinal Thermography, Postural Evaluation, Digital X-Rays, 1st Adjustment & Report of Findings