Chronic neck pain is pain that has been present for longer periods of time, possibly even years. Sometimes just neck pain, or sometimes shoulder, arm, hand, upper back and shoulder blade pain are involved.
Causes
- Degenerative Disc Disease – changes in biomechanics in the spine causes disc pain, disc bulges/herniations, facet joint loading and stenosis.
- Stabilization Muscle Deconditioning – weakness in the stabilizer muscles such as the abdomen and trapezius can cause stress and pain in the neck and shoulder.
- Changes in posture causing forward head, tight anterior muscles, and overextended and weak posterior muscles and soft tissue structures.
Treatment
- Spinal Decompression – unloads facet joints, decompresses discs, reduces disc bulges and hernitations, stretches tight muscles and ligaments.
- Stabilization Exercise with Directional Bias – exercises specifically for chronic neck pain which can halt the degenerative process, alleviate pain and increase function.
- Mobilization – improves and increases segmental ROM and facet joint mobility.
Be wary...
Medication can cover up the existing mechanical cause of your condition, and rehabilitation that doesn’t include specific and extensive exercising, plus instruction on how to manage pain when not in the clinic won’t solve problems of pain.