We all experience pain from time to time, but chronic pain could be an indicator of a greater underlying issue. If you’ve been dealing with neck pain that won’t seem to go away no matter what you do, then a visit to a Charlotte chiropractor might be in order.
Perhaps you’re wondering why you should see a chiropractor rather than seeing a “regular” doctor or MD. The main difference between chiropractic care and care from an MD is that a chiropractor will work to address the problem at its root using holistic methods like a dry needling therapy to help reduce pain and soreness, whereas a medical doctor will be more likely to prescribe medication or even suggest invasive surgery, without trying to figure out the underlying root cause of the issue and attack it there.
If you don’t like the sound of invasive surgery or drugs, then read on to learn more about some of the top surprising causes of neck pain and how a chiropractor in Charlotte NC might be able to help you correct the problem naturally!
Causes of Chronic Neck Pain
#1. Stress. If you are holding tension in your shoulders, it can lead to muscle aches that get worse over time. This is the most obvious cause of neck pain, but another cause may be related to your body’s immune system response to other triggers. It’s no secret that stress negatively affects your immune system. If your neck pain is related to some sort of illness, that means increased stress will result in increased inflammation, and consequently, increased pain.
#2. Posture. Do you spend a lot of time looking at your phone or computer, while hunched over? Poor posture is a huge contributor to neck and back pain. If you’ve never heard of “text-neck syndrome” before, read this post.
#3. Diet. You’re probably wondering what your diet has to do with pain you feel in your muscles and joints. The key word here is: “inflammation.” Did you know that excess sugar causes inflammation? And it’s in virtually everything we consume, including grains, pastas, rice, alcohol, root vegetables, and other foods that metabolize as sugar. It could be that you have inflammation around your neck due to poor dietary choices.
#4. Poor Exercise Technique. When it comes to fitness, technique is everything! Lift something the wrong way when your’e hitting it hard at the gym, and you could pull a muscle or cause a shift in your vertebrae that could lead to chronic pain down the road. And if you do nothing about it, it could get worse and become harder to treat over time. A lot of the reason for poor technique is pure ignorance. It’s best to work with a fitness expert or personal trainer who can coach you on the proper ways to work out so that you don’t end up hurting something.
#5. Chewing Gum. This may sound especially surprising, but it makes sense. Chewing gum puts pressure on your jaw at the place where it meets your skull, which is ultimately connected to your head and neck, thus causing headaches and neck pain. Plus, many gums contain artificial sugars that are not good for you, anyway. This is definitely something to consider if your’e experiencing chronic head or neck pain.
How a Charlotte Chiropractor Can Help Cure Neck Pain Naturally
If you’re on the fence about seeing a chiropractor for neck pain, we hope this post will nudge you off (gently, of course!)
Here are the basics on how chiropractic care affects your body in general:
Your spine is the “control center” for the body and tells your organs how to function by sending nerve signals out from your spinal cord. When your vertebrae are misaligned, it puts pressure on the nerve endings, ultimately weakening the signals that go out. This results in your body’s systems functioning at a weakened capacity. Over time, if left alone, your organs will deteriorate and will eventually stop functioning altogether.
It’s kind of like what happens when you fail to clean out your dryer’s lint filter on a regular basis. The whole machine eventually shuts down…
Chiropractic adjustments, combined with the other 4 Essentials of Maximized Living, will help to keep your spine properly aligned and your organs functioning optimally.
If you’re dealing with chronic neck pain and would like to learn more about how our South Charlotte chiropractic team can help, give us a call at (980) 422-2000, or fill out the form on this page to request a FREE 15-minute phone consultation.