What Causes Neck Pain?

Neck pain can be caused by several different structures.

  • Your neck is comprised of joints that allow your neck to move in all directions.
  • Muscles that contract to move the neck around it’s joints.
  • Muscles that stabilize the neck for upright posture.
  • Tendons that connect muscles to bones.
  • Ligaments that form the capsules the surround joints and connect bone to bone.
  • Discs that are the cushions and shock absorbers between most of the vertebrae.
  • Bones that are called vertebrae around which axis of movement is formed, and stability is achieved.
  • Nerves that connect to every joint, muscle, tendon and give feedback to the brain and spinal cord.

Neck symptoms can stay local to the neck or the pain can travel.  The pain can travel to the thoracic area and scapula or down the arm and even to the hand. Neck issues can even cause headaches and jaw pain. Any of these symptoms are still candidates for our conservative, natural and drug free approach. Even if you have had neck pain for a long time, we have had great success improving your daily function and quality of life. A detailed analysis of all of the structures listed above is needed to discern the cause of your neck pain.

The key to neck pain is the problem is always holistic in nature. A patient will present with neck tightness, but not know their T1-T4 vertebrae are rotated to the right and that there right scapular muscles are inhibited(not firing) for instance.  All the while they thought the problem and solution were in their neck!

Since we take a comprehensive approach the game plan will involve hands on and active care for the muscles, discs, joints, and fascia of the neck but also usually the shoulder and thoracic spine a the minimum.

How We Identify Neck Pain Causes

At our center we take you through a barrage of tests to get to the root cause:

  • Posture Analysis
  • Range of motion testing
  • Muscle and joint analysis
  • Kinetic chain movement analysis

A key to understand is when you feel pain and discomfort: you are feeling it in the nerves that are providing feedback to the brain.  Pain is a Signal, telling you that something is not optimal. Every movement of the neck starts with a nerve signal.  The nerve signal fires a message to the muscle and the muscle moves the joint and disc by pulling on the bone. It’s an amazing series of gears, pulleys, pistons, and shocks!  All fired by a supercomputer, your brain and nerves! Once we know the true cause of your symptoms we can explain the cause to you in detail and set up a game plan.

Methods We Use to Treat Neck Pain

Chiropractic Method

Chiropractic has been shown in the research to be a tremendous therapy for neck pain. At Mountain Movement we offer different styles of chiropractic adjustments. Most people think of the adjustment where a audible noise is heard from the joint capsule making a popping sound.

But sadly the public does not know there are many more methods!

We use an instrument that specifically delivers motion to the joint and balances the joint capsule. This method is great when a trauma has taken place, with chronic injury, or with those apprehensive. We also employ mobililization with movement, where we take your neck muscles and joints through the range of motion they are designed for in a gentle manner.  This helps break up scar tissue, restore joint integrity, and reduce muscle spasm.

Soft Tissue or Muscle

Because we want you to get better faster, and stay that way we address the movers of the body: the muscles.  We employ some very unique techniques that Dr. Day was exposed to in his care of elite athletes. Much more specific than just “loosening” muscles.  Muscles need to be retrained neurologically and so we want to “re-educate” the muscle to move better. At our center we offer a proprietary method called the “Day Method” in which we gently help the a muscle “reboot”.

Traction Therapy

We have very high tech tables that are designed to move your body through a range of motion, thereby opening up joints and muscles of the body that get stuck.

Kinesiotaping

This flexible tape is placed on the body to mimic the muscle that is in need of therapy.  The body is so amazing, that when the skin receptors are stretched by the elastic tape they start to send new signals to the muscle.  This method is employed on every major sports team.

Breathing Analysis and Retraining

The anatomy of breathing involves the diaphragm, core, rib joints, and muscles/fascia of the thoracic cage and neck.  Really breathing is a full body experience.  Within the day method we make sure that your breathing is functional and back to a normal rhythm with the right muscles activated.

Neck pain is very often linked to upper chest breathing. In this dysfunctional pattern the individual will overuse their neck muscles to breathe into their upper thoractic cage, creating chronic tightness in the upper chest/neck breathing muscles the scalenes.

Ergonomic and Stretch Instruction

We want you to be empowered to keep aligned and moving better and to be able to do key maintenance on your own body. We have a rehabilitation area on site and will instruct you how to move better. We have special Rehab visits where you can work one on one with us to learn how to move your body better.

Our Flow Movement Technique is a way to mimic the innate movement patterns you were designed for.  When you put your body through this barrage of movements, the nerve signals that have been dormant can re-awaken. We have treated thousands of cases and hope you will come consult with us.  Our progressive approach was honed over 10 years in practice and years of training with the top level experts in the field.

Free Consult:  Find out where your neck pain is coming from.

 We hope that you will come experience our progressive level of care in Greenville, SC.  We also offer Skype consults to help advise and direct those who need help, advice, and assistance finding a practitioner in their area.