Neck Pain



One of the major causes of neck disorders in musculoskeletal disorders. It is largely due to subluxation (slight misalignment of the joint and muscle spasm/hypertonicity).


Neck pain is almost never an isolated pain. Neck pain can be a dull ache, stiffness or severe pain. Pain may spread to upper back, shoulders and arms.


Before deciding on which approach to take for your pain, we will do a thorough examination to diagnose the specific cause of your neck pain.


Common Causes of Neck Pain

1.  Long-term Inactivity

This is one of the most common causes of neck pain, especially with the increasing number of people sitting in front of the computers all day, texting on our phones and even couching in front of TVs. Regular exercise to strengthen your muscles will be highly recommended.


2.  Injuries

Injuries that result in neck pain is normally sustained during sports or recreational activities. It is important to do proper warm ups before any sport and exercise, and observe the correct posture to any sport/game to prevent injury.


3.  Accidents (Whiplash)

Whiplash injuries refer to the neck pain following a motor vehicle accident. Typically, the head is forced to move forward and/or backward rapidly beyond the neck’s normal range of motion.


This unnatural and forceful movement affects the muscles, ligaments and joints in the neck. Muscles may react by tightening and contracting, creating muscle fatigue, resulting in pain and stiffness.


Careful chiropractic techniques can be performed to ease the pain.


4.  Incorrect Posture

When we are engrossed in an activity, we may overlook on our posture. However, observing good posture is a key to preventing neck pain.


Poor posture when walking, when sitting in front of the computer, when sleeping (eg. sleeping on your stomach with a bent neck) are all possible causes that give rise to neck pain.


5.  Stress

Learning to relax is important to ease neck pain. As you tense up, the tightness in your neck muscles contributes to neck pain. If this is the cause of your neck pain, learning to manage stress and developing a positive attitude is crucial in easing neck pain.


On top of regular chiropractic care, observing a good diet and regular exercise to strengthen your muscles and strengths are all crucial in maintaining a healthy and happy life.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is chiropractic?
Chiropractic (translated ‘to do by hand’) was founded over 100 years ago in the United States as a natural, safe and effective way to improve your overall body function and health. It is based on the scientific fact that your body is a self-regulating, self-healing organism, which given the right environment, has the ability to be healthy and function optimally. Almost all your bodies functions are controlled by your brain, via your spinal cord and nerves. The bones of the spine are called ‘vertebrae’ which protect the communication pathways through the spine for your nerves. If any part of the nervous system is impaired, it may cause changes in the body’s cell’s, tissues and organs. Chiropractic’s focus is to improve your bodies nervous system function by improving your spinal function. By improving your nervous system function your body can have an improved environment in which to self heal and self regulate. By creating better function we are increasing your health potential and allowing your body to work at a more optimal level.
What does a chiropractor do?
A chiropractors responsibility is to assess and improve your spinal and nervous system function. Your chiropractor will assess your spine specifically for restrictions in spinal motion and determine whether this may be affecting your nervous system. If these restrictions occur a chiropractors goal is to restore optimal movement and function to that area, thereby allowing optimal nervous system control and a greater health status.
What is a chiropractic adjustment?
A chiropractic adjustment is what chiropractors do when they are treating your spine. When a chiropractor by hand, or by other certain techniques improve the movement within your spinal vertebrae or structures, it is referred to as an ‘adjustment’ of your spine.
Are chiropractic adjustments safe?
Yes extremely safe. There are very few reported cases of serious injury associated with chiropractic care in the history of our profession. There are some, but the vast majority of cases reported over the last 100 years have been from other practitioners who are not chiropractors. These are often reported as ‘chiropractic techniques’ and unfortunately chiropractic get’s the blame! Doctors of chiropractic study at university for a minimum of five years and are taught thoroughly how to care for the spine safely. Our chiropractors also undertake postgraduate courses, seminars and studies where we are kept up to date on the latest in safety research and practise. I would challenge anyone to find a more thorough and complete chiropractic assessment compared to our standard at Spinecare Chiropractic. When spinal x-rays and thermal imaging are added to range of motion, orthopaedic and postural assessments, our chiropractic care is safer than ever! To put this in relative perspective, the chance of suffering a serious incident from a chiropractic adjustment is 250 times less than the chances of suffering a serious incident from taking an Aspirin! It’s actually more likely to be struck by lightning than have a serious problem from visiting a chiropractor! With this kind of safety you can rest assured – you’re in secure hands with our Spinecare chiropractors.
How do I know if I have a subluxation?
The most common reasons why people visit our Spinecare chiropractors initially is for back pain, neck pain and headaches. When pain is present this is by far the biggest clue that your spinal function is at a reduced level. However, what our chiropractors find is that your spinal dysfunction can be present for long periods of time before symptoms appear. Symptoms are often the last and not the first sign that subluxations are present. Often we find that your subluxations can be present since early age and can often be traced to trauma’s or accidents that have happened in the past. If you weren’t already aware our Spinecare chiropractors frequently look after babies and children in our practices. Just like adults, our babies and kids can have spinal and nervous system dysfunction. The birth process as well as repeated falls are common reasons why changes may occur. The way to know exactly how your spine and nervous system is functioning is to have a thorough assessment by your Spinecare chiropractor.