Is neck pain preventing you from living a healthy, pain-free lifestyle?
Neck pain and related symptoms are the second most common condition for which people will find relief at Skare Spine and Performance in Rochester, MN.
Neck pain is widespread, and most people will experience it at some point in their lifetime. Dysfunction around your neck doesn't only cause neck pain- but can cause headaches, feelings of upper back and neck tension and tightness, pain in your TMJ, and more.
Why do we experience neck pain and stiffness?
Our necks are strong and resilient but can result in injury over time if exposed to improper stresses and immediately following trauma.
Different factors can include desk jobs, manual labor, sports and sports collisions, auto accidents, food allergens, prolonged cell phone use, and more.
Our method of finding relief for your neck pain
- Chiropractic adjustments restore proper joint motion and relax the surrounding musculature
- Myofascial/soft-tissue work to break up fascial adhesions and restore appropriate muscle movement
- Functional rehabilitation to strengthen the deep neck flexors and shoulder stabilizers
- Dry Needling to relieve trigger points and tension in the muscles
- Nutritional advice to remove possible sensitivities
- Work-station advice to help improve daily posture
Neck and Shoulder Blade Pain Relief
Remick battled neck and shoulder blade pain for the past 2 years. His hyper-mobility made it essential to address the stability of his neck and shoulder stabilizers. We worked on loosening up the soft tissues and creating stability, as he is now pain-free and back in the gym.
Testimonials
"Dr. Nate did wonders on my neck pain. I have a desk job and sit all day and he had the knowledge, expertise and personable nature that I can’t thank him enough for. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!"
-Kirsten H., St. Charles, MN
Common Conditions Treated at Skare Spine and Performance in Rochester
- Upper Crossed Syndrome / Posture Related Neck Pain
- Headaches / Migraines
- Cervical Sprain/Strain
- Cervical Disc Pain / Radiculopathy
- TMJ
- Excess Tension and tightness in shoulder and neck muscles
Upper Crossed Syndrome / Posture Related Neck Pain
Upper crossed syndrome usually occurs when there is overactivity of pectoral (chest) and cervical extensors (back of neck) musculature, resulting in weakened muscles in the middle of your back. Upper crossed syndrome presents with rounded shoulders and tight neck muscles, especially at the base of your skull. The patient will often feel like their upper back muscles are incredibly tight.
Different risk factors can include:
- Desk Job
- Too much sitting
- Long periods of driving
- Prolonged cell phone use
- Extended periods of poor posture
Headaches and Migraines
Headaches are a widespread dysfunction but are not normal. At Skare Spine & Performance in Rochester, we think of headaches as a 'check engine light' because your body often tells you that change is needed. There are many different types and causes of headaches, which is why a proper diagnosis is essential. The most common types are tension headaches, cervicogenic headaches, and migraines.
Different causes of headaches include:
- Excess tension in neck/shoulder muscles
- Prolonged clenching of your jaw
- Food allergens (dairy, wheat, gluten, etc.)
- Stress
- Allergies
- Hormones
- Whiplash or trauma to your neck
Our thorough history and examination will help uncover the cause of your headaches. Headaches most commonly associated with neck pain and tightness are known as cervicogenic headaches. Restoring proper joint motion with chiropractic adjustments, relaxing the musculature with myofascial, and activating the deep neck flexors can solve cervicogenic headaches.
The solution can be simple to get rid of your headaches.
Neck Sprain/Strain
A neck sprain or strain is a common injury in your cervical spine. Used interchangeably, a sprain occurs when there is damage to a ligament or joint. In comparison, a strain is due to injury to the musculature. These can happen due to a direct injury or from prolonged stress.
Different causes can include:
- Accidents
- Whiplash
- Sports Injuries
- Overuse
After the examination, treatment will include gentle adjustments, soft-tissue therapy, and proper rehabilitation to stabilize and strengthen the neck musculature.
Cervical Disc Pain / Radiculopathy
Intervertebral discs in our spine have strong outer fibers called the annulus fibrosis with an inner "jelly" like material called the nucleus pulposus.
Due to trauma, repetitive motion, improper heavy lifting, genetics, and other risk factors, the annulus fibrosis can break down, letting the jelly-like nucleus pulposus create a bulge or breakthrough, causing disc herniation.
Herniations can cause inflammation and irritation around the nerve resulting in severe pain. This pain can travel to your shoulder blade or down your arm. The pain in your arm can be sharp, electrical, or shooting. There can also be sensory changes that include paresthesia, numbness, tingling, and loss of sensation.
Different causes of cervical disc pain/radiculopathy include:
- Manual labor
- Degenerative Disc Disease or Arthritis
- Auto Accidents
- Collision sports
- Repetitive motions for long periods of time
In most cases, you can avoid surgery or injections. Our first goal in the office is to reduce the pain from your arm or shoulder blade and get it to "centralize" to your spine. We often do that by finding a pain-free repetitive motion of your spine that you can do at home to speed up the recovery process. After that, we will work on restoring proper joint movement and muscle activation to prevent this from occurring again and progressing.
TMJ
Do you have the "TMJ?"
Having "TMJ" or TMD or temporomandibular dysfunction, jaw pain is a prevalent condition. Neck pain can start because of over-clenching or tightness of the TMJ musculature.
How you might know if your TMJ is at fault for your neck pain or headaches:
- Unable to fit three finger widths in your mouth
- Headaches after stressful periods
- Waking up with headaches
- Clicking, and popping of your TMJ
Clenching your jaw is like holding a bicep curl for the entire day. Could you imagine how sore your bicep would be? The same goes for the muscles around your skull that close your jaw.