Most people don’t realize how much they move their neck during the day until they’re unable to do so. The degree of flexibility of the neck, coupled with the fact that it has the least muscular stabilization of any part of the spine and has to support and move a 14–16 pound head, means the neck is very susceptible to injury. Picture your neck and head like a bowling ball held on top of a stick by small, thin, elastic bands — it doesn’t take much force to disrupt that delicate balance and cause neck pain. Our chiropractors are trained to help correct these issues.
How Neck Problems Affect the Rest of the Body
The spinal cord runs through a space in the vertebrae to send nerve impulses to every part of the body. Between each pair of cervical vertebrae, the spinal cord sends off large bundles of nerves that run down the arms and, to some degree, the upper back. This means that if your arm is hurting, it may actually be a problem in the neck. Symptoms in the arms can include numbness, tingling, cold, aching, and “pins and needles” — sometimes confused with carpal tunnel syndrome.
Problems in the neck can also contribute to headaches, muscle spasms in the shoulders and upper back, ringing in the ears, otitis media (often mistaken for a middle-ear infection in children), TMJ dysfunction, restricted range of motion, and chronic tightness in the neck and upper back.
Common Causes of Neck and Upper Back Pain
Most neck and upper back pain is caused by a combination of factors, including injury, poor posture, chiropractic subluxations, stress, and in some instances, disc problems.
Whiplash Injuries
The most common injury to the neck is a whiplash injury, caused by a sudden movement of the head — backward, forward, or sideways — that damages the supporting muscles, ligaments, and other connective tissues in the neck and upper back. Whether from a car accident, sports, or a workplace accident, whiplash injuries need to be taken seriously. Symptoms can take weeks or months to manifest, so people are often fooled into thinking they aren’t as injured as they really are until the pain gets worse. Studies show that years after settling insurance claims, roughly half of whiplash victims still report symptoms from their injuries.
Poor Posture
One of the most common causes of neck pain, and sometimes headaches, is poor posture. It’s easy to develop bad posture habits without realizing it — even something as “innocent” as reading in bed can lead to pain and headaches over time. The basic rule: keep your neck in a neutral position whenever possible, avoid hunching forward for long periods, and avoid sitting in one position too long.
Subluxations
Subluxations in the neck and upper back are extremely common due to the stress of holding up your head combined with the instability of the cervical spine. Signs include a head that appears tilted in the mirror, one shoulder higher than the other, uneven sleeve length, or a necklace hanging off-center.
Stress
When people become stressed, they unconsciously contract their muscles — particularly in the back. This “muscle guarding” is a survival response, and in today’s world it still occurs whenever we become emotionally stressed. The areas most affected are the neck, upper back, and low back, often centered in the trapezius muscle, leading to chronic tightness and trigger points.
Disc Herniations
The discs in your cervical spine can herniate or bulge and put pressure on the nerves exiting the spine in that area. Cervical discs don’t herniate as often as lumbar discs, but they occasionally do — especially when damaged by a whiplash injury.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the neck so easily injured?
The neck has the least muscular stabilization of any part of the spine while supporting the full weight of the head, making it especially susceptible to injury from even relatively minor forces.
Can neck problems cause arm pain or numbness?
Yes. Nerves that run down the arms originate between the cervical vertebrae, so a neck problem can cause numbness, tingling, or aching in the arms — sometimes mistaken for carpal tunnel syndrome.
How long after a whiplash injury can symptoms appear?
Symptoms can take weeks or even months to fully manifest, which is why it’s important to get checked out even if you don’t feel seriously injured right after an accident.
Can poor posture really cause neck pain and headaches?
Yes. Poor posture, including habits like reading in bed, is one of the most common causes of both neck pain and headaches over time.
What does a subluxation in the neck look like?
Signs can include a visibly tilted head, one shoulder sitting higher than the other, uneven sleeve length, or a necklace that hangs off-center.