Just about everyone has suffered from neck pain at one point or another in their lives. Luckily for most people, the pain is intermittent and isn’t chronic or constant. But for some people, neck pain can be a part of everyday life. It’s important to realize that the muscles of the neck are connected to many other muscles within the body, all lending support to the joints. If one of these muscles if even a little bit off, the results could be, well, painful!

TREATING NECK PAIN

There are many ways to treat neck pain. Everything from pain killers to chiropractic treatments can work, but there are also things you can do yourself to help improve your neck pain, with just a few simple changes.

Below are the top ten causes or habits that can lead to neck pain, and some tips on how you can reduce your risk of developing this pain.

TOP 10 Neck Pain Causes

POSTURE POSTURE POSTURE!

Poor posture is one of the leading causes of neck pain. In today’s world, technology is how we go about many things in life. The fact is, while technology is an important part of our lives, it can also cause lots of problems and neck pain being a big one. Try to be aware of your posture when using your technology, and be sure that you are sitting up straight, shoulders back, and your device at eye level. Ensure that you are not using posture that we refer to as “text neck” which is basically a forward head posture that is used when texting for example. Keeping the head in this forward or downward angle is the leading cause of neck pain and will have a negative impact on your entire body. If you need some tips on maintaining good posture, be sure to ask Dr. Bekic and he’ll be happy to answer any question!

POOR ERGONOMICS

As noted above, technology is pretty much unavoidable these days. How we use our technology makes the difference in our health issues including neck pain. While posture is key, it’s pretty difficult to have good posture if the area where our devices are located have poor ergonomics. Having a proper chair with adequate back support and having a desk with an appropriate height will all contribute to good posture, and as a result, reduced pain.

LUGGING HEAVY BAGS

Carrying around heavy items, such as brief cases or purses on a regular basis can really put a strain on the muscles of the neck. In part, this is due to strain being placed on one side of the body only. Most women will tell you that they carry their purse on a particular side and don’t usually switch it up. If you are someone who likes to have all your stuff with you at all times, investing in a good backpack, or at the very least, a cross-body type bag, will help to even out the strain on your neck muscles.

POOR SUPPORT DURING SLEEP

Everyone has an opinion about which is the healthiest sleep position; some people feel sleeping on your back is bad, others will say the same about sleeping on your stomach. The key to proper support during sleep is having the right type of mattress and pillow so that your body is properly aligned, and your neck is supported, no matter which side you choose to sleep on. While the softness of your mattress is a personal preference, it’s wise to invest in good quality pillows that keep cervical position and alignment in focus, so that your head is properly supported while you sleep.

PROPER CHEST SUPPORT

For women, having a good quality bra that is supportive, can be especially helpful to those who are large-breasted. If proper support is not in place, the weight of the chest can pull the head and shoulders forward, leading to neck pain. Additionally, the straps, if not of adequate width, can create ruts in the shoulders that will also lead to pain. Invest in good quality bras to help keep you pain free.

ARM AND WRIST SUPPORT

Any time you are performing an activity that requires the constant motion of your arms and hands, it’s wise to have support in place. Typing is an excellent example; while it’s important to keep your shoulders back, sometimes this can be difficult if you don’t have supports under the elbows or wrists. Simply allowing the elbows to swing freely while performing such tasks can put an undue amount of strain on your neck and shoulders.

NECK PAIN AND THE PHONE

With the invention of speaker phones, it is easier to have long conversations without using your shoulder as a holder for your phone. But there are still some folks who prefer a good old fashioned phone, and continue to use the shoulder to hold the phone between the shoulder and neck while multi-tasking. This is a guaranteed way to end up with a sore neck, so if you’re guilty of this practice, it’s time to upgrade your phone and your bad habits!

LONG DRIVES

Are you a commuter? If so you are probably spending a lot of time with both hands on the steering wheel of your car. And while you were probably taught that having your hands in the 9 – 3 position, this can actually lead to significant neck pain. It’s wiser to position your hands lower down on the steering wheel to prevent strain on your neck and shoulders.

STRESS

And finally, stress, the silent cause of so many aches and pains! When we’re stressed, we tend to tense up and hunch forward as a means of trying to protect ourselves. It’s vitally important, not just to your neck, but to your entire well-being, to address and reduce the cause of your stress, so that your body can function in an optimal way.

SUMMARY

As you can see, there are some common habits that most of us have that can cause neck pain. Making even little changes to these habits can mean the difference between a sore neck and a happy neck! If you have any questions about neck pain or if you’re experiencing neck pain, Dr. Bekic can help put you on the path to relief!

Call our office today at (519) 250-6288 to set up your appointment! Don’t forget to like and share this post with your family and friends.

Experiencing difficulty losing weight? Have you tried everything but nothing still works? Visit a chiropractor and give this unconventional method a try.

One of the hidden benefits of visiting a chiropractor is weight loss. It is not the direct result of the adjustment but it helps establish a healthier body where you can burn calories easier. It helps you stop taking pain medications that have potential weight gain side effects. Also, when your body has less stress, you become more inclined to make healthier dietary choices which allows you to take care of your body more.

How Visiting a Chiropractor Helps Lose Weight

Chiropractic care helps the body in a more holistic level. Its goal goes beyond giving the immediate relief from your pain. It aids the body in its healing process and makes it better in managing itself from the inside, making it less likely for you to develop more health issues.

When you are visiting a chiropractor, they will examine your spinal column and check for misalignments. These can hinder your central nervous system, which makes it harder for your brain and body to communicate with each other. It worsens your body’s functions, including your metabolic system which hinders your ability to burn fat.

As your chiropractor performs adjustments through manual manipulation techniques, your spine returns to its normal alignment. The vital communication between your brain and body goes back to normal and so does your metabolic functions.

Weight Gain and Back Pain Relationship

If you suffer from chronic pain, you are more likely to gain weight. The reason behind it is that you become less physically active, have poor sleep patterns, and eat more to gain comfort. It is unclear whether the pain or the weight gain comes first, but there is no doubt that these two often exist together.

Back injuries can contribute to weight gain. People working in construction often get back injuries, which forces them to take at least a six-month break to recover. This time period is enough for them to gain a notable increase in weight, especially if they neglect to do physical activities as well.

Benefits of Chiropractic Adjustments to Your Physical Fitness

Your adjustment does not immediately fix your back pain permanently. It does offer a great deal of relief in most cases. Pain relief and management take several visits to accomplish.

Here are some of the weight loss benefits of visiting a chiropractor:

It Improves Nerve Communication

Your spine’s nerves have communication pathways that control your hunger and fullness. When you adjust your spine, it opens up these pathways and relieves the stress of pain. It helps you know better when you need to eat and when you should stop.

It Makes Exercise Easier For You

When your body hurts, you are less motivated to hit the gym and lift weights and run on the treadmill. Forcing yourself to exercise through the pain means that you will do a fraction of the intensity and duration of the workouts you usually do. Chiropractic adjustments help you relieve your back pains, which means that you can go back to your workouts and burn more calories.

It Makes Your Daily Movements More Comfortable

Working out is a great way to lose weight, but all your daily activities contribute to it as well. When you start walking less and sit more instead of doing chores due to pain, an adjustment can help. It brings you relief and makes you more active in general.

The more you move throughout the day, the more calories you burn. On average, you can get rid of up to 350 calories daily with all these small movements.

It Reduces Your Stress-Eating Habits

An average person deals with stress through eating food to get some comfort. When your back hurts, your body becomes stressed. It increases your desire to eat junk food like chips to make you forget about your pains.

Once you start visiting a chiropractor, you can focus on making healthy foods and picking out proper snacks. You can motivate yourself to start taking walks after dinner instead of sitting in front of the television with a bowl of chips.

Benefits of Healthy Weight Loss

Maintaining your weight at a healthy level can improve your life in many ways. It makes you less likely to develop illnesses like heart problems and diabetes. Here are some of the benefits of losing excess weight:

It Lowers Your Blood Pressure

If you are overweight, your heart’s health is at risk because it is strained more. It causes your blood vessels to get damaged, which results in possible loss of eyesight. Not doing anything can lead to fatal strokes.

Losing weight relieves you from the strain. It helps lower blood pressure, which is crucial when you are undergoing a weight-loss program or diet.

It Improves Your Cholesterol Levels

Overweight people have higher levels of bad cholesterol. If you do a low-fat diet, you can lose weight faster and shed the excess low-density lipoprotein. With a healthy cholesterol level, your risk for cardiovascular disease becomes lower.

It Makes You More Mobile

Losing excess weights makes you move easier, allowing you to have more energy to do exercises and other tasks. Without the excess fats slowing you down, it becomes more rewarding for you to play with your kids or your dogs.

It Makes You More Confident

When you work out and lose weight, you become more confident about how you appear to other people. You feel great about yourself because you worked hard getting into shape. You are more comfortable in social situations, making it easier for you to form meaningful connections and do your work.

Start Visiting a Chiropractor and Lose Weight Today!

Call our office today at (519) 250-6288 to set up your appointment! Don’t forget to like and share this post with your family and friends.