According to the CDC, about 14.3 percent of individuals have neck pain or problems with their necks that result in dysfunction and discomfort. Causes can vary from arthritis to text neck and even a herniated disc, but the end result is that individuals with neck pain and stiffness want relief that is non-invasive and drug-free. The good news is that our chiropractic neck pain specialist in Santa Clara can determine the causes of your neck pain and recommend a treatment to heal the underlying causes.
Why a Chiropractor May Be the Best Neck Pain Doctor
In our modern world, neck pain is becoming an increasing problem. This is primarily due to poor posture and looking down at cell phones and other portable digital devices, which leads to text neck. The good news is that a chiropractor may be the best neck pain doctor because chiropractors offer non-invasive ways to treat neck pain by healing the underlying injuries, using non-invasive treatments that may help lower your dependency on prescription and OTC pain medications.
What Is Text Neck?
Are you experiencing text neck pain? Text neck is a condition that affects the muscles, ligaments, and vertebrae of the neck. It is caused by having a continuous head-down posture while viewing electronic devices, especially cell phones, tablets, and laptops or other small, portable wireless devices. Of course, looking down isn’t a new habit. Individuals have always looked down when reading and writing. However, wireless portable devices have added a new element because they cause children, teenagers, adults and seniors to look down for an extended period of time as they scroll social media feeds, catch up on the news and view various websites for shopping and informational purposes.
The bad news is that maintaining poor posture by looking down for hours at a time can cause sprains and strains in the neck and upper back. This is because the muscles, ligaments and other supporting structures of the neck are not designed to support our heads for extended periods of time. In fact, looking down can put as much as 60 extra pounds of pressure on the neck.
What Is The Correct Posture To Avoid Text Teck?
In order to avoid text neck, individuals need to focus on maintaining good posture, even while texting or viewing websites on their tablets, phones and other wireless devices. The correct posture to avoid text neck is one where your back is straight, and your neck continues that straight line. In order to help you with this task, you can think of it as basic ergonomics for your work desk. It’s recommended that you sit with your back straight and your monitors at eye level when you work at your desk.
Individuals should transfer this knowledge to their portable device usage and hold their phones at eye level or use a cell phone stand to help keep the devices at eye level. If you have difficulty holding your phone or tablet at eye level in order to avoid poor posture, you should take breaks every 20 to 30 minutes when using your portable device.
What Are The Symptoms of Text Neck?
Text neck pain and stiffness are the most common symptoms. However, it can also cause:
- Mild to severe upper back pain
- Pain in the shoulders and arms
- Muscle spasms in the upper back and shoulders
- Pinched nerves in the neck
- Permanent neck damage in children because their necks and bodies are still growing and developing
Natural Pain Relief
Chiropractic treatments are designed to work with your body to heal the causes of your neck pain without surgery or steroid injections. In fact, one of our first goals in treatment is to get your pain under control, which usually involves performing chiropractic adjustments. Next, we work on healing the causes of your pain, which could include improving your ergonomics and strengthening weak muscles. Lastly, there is maintenance. These are regular sessions with our chiropractor to address any new dysfunctions, injuries or concerns.
Addresses Root Cause of Problems
Chiropractic care treats the cause of your neck pain. It does not mask the symptoms, as medications may. For example, if your neck pain is caused by whiplash, instrument adjustments, rest and heat can help heal your injury. As your injuries heal, you will notice that you have less pain in your neck.
Little to No Side Effects
Chiropractic care does not involve long recovery times, and it does not interfere with any treatments or medications you are already receiving or taking. In fact, there are very few, if any, side effects associated with chiropractic care for neck injuries, like text neck, whiplash and sprains, and strains from overuse injuries. This means that you can receive your treatments and continue with your day as normal.
Chiropractic Care for Neck Pain in Santa Clara
The biggest benefit of chiropractic care for neck pain is that it is non-invasive. Instead of utilizing injections and surgery to correct problems with our neck, chiropractic care seeks to help your body heal itself through manual and instrument chiropractic adjustments.
Instrument adjustments utilize a hand-held device that delivers a precise adjustment. Many individuals find instrument adjustments to be more comfortable and longer-lasting than manual adjustments. Not to mention, we also use our instrument adjuster during KST chiropractic adjustments, which are great for ensuring the entire structural system of the body is balanced. KST chiropractic is typically recommended for neck pain because misalignments in the back, hips and even the joints in the legs can manifest itself as neck pain and stiffness.
Schedule An Appointment With The Best Neck Pain Doctor
To schedule an appointment for your neck pain and stiffness, call our Santa Clara chiropractic office at (408) 985-8118. We offer free initial consultations for all new patients.
