Whether you feel a slight twinge at a certain angle or you’re in constant agony, neck pain is a common problem that should not go ignored. There are many reasons why your neck may be tense or hurting, but no matter what the cause, chiropractic care can ease the discomfort. The guide below explains what causes neck pain and how chiropractors can treat it.

What Causes Neck Pain?

In the broadest sense, most cases of neck pain happen when the muscles, joints, and ligaments in the neck become irritated or inflamed. Your neck supports the weight of your head while maintaining incredible flexibility. This makes it vulnerable to stiffness and injury. Common causes of neck pain include:

• Muscle Strain: Poor posture throws off spinal balance, causing strain on your muscles. Reading in bed, hunching over the computer screen, and even clenching your jaw can hurt your neck over time.

• Injury: Whiplash—the sudden and forced jerking of the head in one direction, then another—causes injuries in the soft tissues of the head and neck. Car accidents like rear-end collisions frequently result in whiplash injuries.

• Disease & Aging: Many diseases, such as meningitis and cancer, can cause neck pain. Degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, and osteoarthritis, all conditions linked to aging on the joints, are more likely to occur in older adults.

• Nerve Compression: Also known as a pinched nerve, nerve compression occurs when surrounding bones, muscles, or cartilage place too much pressure on a nerve. Along with pain, you might experience tingling or numbness. Pinched nerves can happen in many areas of the body.

How Can a Chiropractor Help?

Visiting a chiropractor is a great way to relieve the inflammation, stiffness, and irritation that comes with neck pain in a non-invasive way. Your chiropractor will first ask you a series of questions to understand the scope of your problem and provide more customized, targeted care. For example, they might ask how long you’ve been experiencing pain, if you’ve done anything to treat it at home, or how it affects your daily activities.

These professionals use a method known as chiropractic adjustment to correct misalignments of the neck, improving mobility and restoring your range of motion. Reducing joint restrictions and correcting misalignments in the spine will help relieve pain and improve function. Your care will be developed around the root cause of your health issue and tailored to your unique health needs and goals.

If you are experiencing neck pain, schedule a visit with True North Chiropractic. Based in Onalaska, WI, the team at this chiropractic office works with patients to provide gentle, personalized, and neurological-based care that treats the root cause of your condition. Their compassionate team will create a specialized program to address your health concerns and give your body the push it needs to heal. To schedule an appointment, call (608) 403-5551 today. Visit their website to learn what you can expect from your first visit.