Chronic Neck Pain: Causes and Symptoms

Chronic neck pain may be the result of a sports injury, auto injury, poor posture or medical condition. Whiplash is often the result of a car accident. The force of the impact stretches the cervical muscles and causes a neck strain in soft tissues. It’s also not uncommon for a cervical herniated disc or forminal stenosis to put pressure on a nerve in the neck, and pain may radiate from the neck, down the arm, and to the hands. Many times, this pain is accompanies by tingling or weakness in arms or hands. Even an event, such as twisting the neck the wrong way can lead to chronic neck pain. Degenerative diseases due to aging can also cause neck pain and neck joints tend to wear down with age. For example, osteoarthritis causes the cartilage and vertebrae to deteriorate. The forming of bone spurs due to osteoarthritis can limit joint motion and result in neck pain. Symptoms of a neck injury typically results in muscle tightness, spasms, headaches, decreased ability to move the head and cervical pain.

Effective Chiropractic Care for Neck Pain in Mission Valley, San Diego

At DiSabatino Chiropractic & Rehab, Inc, we offer effective chiropractic care for neck pain. Chiropractor Dr. Nicholas DiSabatino takes a holistic approach to healing and implements a multi-faceted treatment plan that is custom tailored to meet patients’ unique needs. He takes a full medical history, completes a thorough neurological exam and may order X rays to identify the root of your neck pain. Once an accurate diagnosis is made, he will recommend a variety of services to enhance healing and reduce or eliminate your neck pain. He performs chiropractic spinal adjustments to remedy any existing subluxations and increase range of motion. Chiropractor Dr. Nicholas DiSabatino may also opt for low-force spinal adjustment to treat neck pain where just a soft pressure is applied. This option works well for seniors and for those with arthritis.

Spinal active release therapy is an excellent adjunct treatment to spinal manipulations. It focuses on the muscles surrounding the spine and helps release muscle tension. Since muscles are intertwined with tendons, nerves and connective tissues in the spine, spinal active release therapy also helps treat any existing nerve entrapment issues. It helps reduce neck pain while restoring function.

Both myofascial release therapy and trigger point therapy can enhance recovery from chronic neck pain and are offered at DiSabatino Chiropractic & Rehab, Inc. Myofascial release therapy treats pain and cervical muscle immobility by stimulating the stretch reflex muscles, relaxing contracted muscles and improving blood flow. It’s a manual therapy that involves applying pressure into the connective tissue restrictions to reduce pain and increase range of motion. Trigger points in the neck refer to tight muscles. Trigger point therapy is designed to release neck muscle tension through cycles of pressure and release.

If you’re suffering from chronic neck pain, give us a call at (619) 322-4626 for an effective treatment plan.