Denver is such a beautiful city, but hard to enjoy when you have neck pain. Neck pain can be caused by a multitude factors, some serious, and some not so serious. What is causing your neck pain?
As a chiropractor in Denver, I regularly see people come to my clinic for help with their neck pain. When there is no trauma, or other disease processes, neck pain can be typical for the person that spends lots of time at the computer. Computer monitors are like black holes, they suck you in, and are very hard to escape. They end up giving forward head posture. I’ve had my fair share of neck pain, but who can blame us. Computers are fascinating and life changing, but they can be a hazard to our health.
I like to think of our head like a bowling ball. Pretend you are holding a bowling ball, like the women in the picture. If you tilt your arm one way, certain muscles in your hand/arm have to work harder than the other muscles. Now move the bowling ball in the other direction, and notice the different muscles being activated. Try holding that bowling ball all day, everyday. Your head is like a bowling ball, if it is to far in front of your body, the muscles in the back of your neck have to work much harder than the muscles in the front of your neck. We call this problem anterior head carriage, or forward head.
This constant contraction of the muscles in the back of your neck will make them fatigue. Once your muscles fatigue, your muscles will start to send pain signals, and become knotted. The knots in your muscles are referred to as trigger points. Trigger points can cause considerable pain, and send pain signals far away from the actual trigger point.
There are many therapies that help with painful necks. Here is a short list,
1. Chiropractic Manipulative Therapy – Re-Aligns the spine causing decrease in muscle tension
2. Massage Therapy
3. Ultrasound
4. Electrotherapy
5. Exercises to balance out muscle imbalances
6. Laser Therapy
7. Myofascial Release
8. Trigger Point Therapy
9. Muscle Stretching
10. Muscle Energy Techniques
11. Mechanical Massage
12. Ergonomic Changes
13. Postural Awareness
14. Heat/Cold therapy
There are number of ways to treat this problem, but the point is to get it treated and looked at by a professional.
Dr. Trent Artichoker MS, DC
Denver Chiropractic, LLC
3890 Federal Blvd Unit 1
Denver, CO 80211
303-455-2225