What is Your Pain in the Neck Causing?

There are a lot things in this world that are a pain in the neck, both literally and figuratively. Whiplash, sitting at a computer for too long, texting too much and sleeping in an odd position can all cause a pain in the neck. I’m sure my oldest son often considers his younger brother to be a pain in the neck (although I think he may pick a different body part). While there can be a whole lot of things that can cause a pain in the neck, the neck itself can be the culprit in a wide array of maladies. In other words, you may be surprised to find the neck is the source of many different types of aches, pains and other woes.

The bones of the spine in the neck are referred to as the “cervical” spine. So, any symptoms or problems that arise from the cervical spine are considered “cervicogenic” in origin. The following describes a number of different health issues that actually are due to problems in your neck.

I’ve read that there exists 150 different types of headaches. Some of the more familiar sources of headache are high blood pressure, dehydration and concussion. A significant number of headaches actually arise from the neck itself. Irritation of muscles, joints or nerves in the neck can be a cause in many headaches. The neck can be a source of pain in nearly all places in the head, front, back, face, temples and even teeth and jaw. The neck is now being considered as a contributor to post-concussion headaches. The forces to the head that are strong enough to cause brain trauma are enough to cause neck trauma as well (it’s almost impossible to have one without the other). The delay in return to normal activities after a concussion may be reduced by getting treatment to the neck.

While there are many sources of dizziness or vertigo, such as the inner ear, blood sugars and blood pressure, the neck can be a source of this often-debilitating symptom. The brain gets information regarding the body’s position from a number of different areas and one is the joints in the spine, particularly the neck. Injuries to the neck, such as whiplash or even arthritis of the joints in the neck may lead to the room spinning.

Dorsalgia refers to pain in the thoracic spine, or simply the upper back. Many of the upper back muscles are controlled by nerves originating in the neck. There exists common pain referral patterns into the upper back from irritated joints and muscles of the neck. Postural stress, like slouching to read your texts, is a common cause of neck related upper back pain. Traumatic injury to the neck, like a whiplash, often results in upper back pain as well.

Nerve irritation can cause radicular pain, meaning wherever the nerve goes, the pain can travel. All of the nerves that go into the arms come from the neck. Neck trauma, arthritis and disc herniations are common causes of arm pain, numbness and tingling.

Angina refers to chest pain, but not all chest pain comes from the heart. When your doctor rules out the most dangerous cause of your chest pain, you may want to consider the neck as the source.

As a chiropractor, I see many of these types of neck related problems. Spinal manipulation, along with various exercises, has proven to be a beneficial and safe alternative to pharmacologic (drug) interventions.