What Is Neck Pain and What Causes It?
Neck pain is one of the most common types of pain that people experience. It can range from a mild stiffness to severe pain. Regardless of severity, neck pain can interfere with your work, sleeping, hobbies, and daily life.
The good news is that most neck pain is not caused by anything dangerous, and many people improve with the right combination of treatment, movement, and time.
There are many different causes of neck pain, and oftentimes, people are experiencing more than one – such as poor posture and stress. Fortunately, many of the most common causes of neck pain respond well to conservative care, such as chiropractic and acupuncture.
What Is Neck Pain?
Neck pain is a general term used to describe pain, stiffness, or discomfort anywhere from the base of the skull to the top of the shoulders. Depending on the underlying cause, it may involve muscles, joints, discs, ligaments, nerves, or a combination of these structures.
One of the most common patterns I see is that tight muscles reduce normal movement, placing extra stress on the small joints of the neck. Over time, this can lead to inflammation, irritation, and pain. If left unaddressed for years, abnormal stress on the joints may contribute to degenerative changes such as osteoarthritis.
Common Symptoms of Neck Pain:
Pain
Stiffness
Tightness
Headaches
Tingling
Numbness
Reduced mobility
Common Causes of Neck Pain:
Long hours at a computer
Poor sleep position / “sleeping funny”
Stress
Old injuries
Sports
Arthritis
Muscle strain
Disc injuries
Long hours driving
Tips to Help Prevent Neck Pain
Take regular breaks from sitting.
Keep screens at eye level.
Stretch throughout the day.
Sleep with appropriate pillow support.
Manage stress.
Stay active.
Make sure your car is set up properly for your body, and take breaks on long car rides.
Remember, small habits repeated every day have a much bigger impact on your neck than one perfect day of posture.
When Should You See a Doctor Immediately?
While most neck pain is not a medical emergency, certain symptoms require immediate evaluation.
Major trauma
Loss of vision
Progressive weakness
Fever
Severe numbness
Difficulty walking
Sudden severe symptoms
How Chiropractic May Help
Many people experience “forward head carriage,” which is the technical term for when your head is forward of your shoulders (ideally, your ear should be aligned with your shoulder). The more forward your head is, typically the more neck pain (and other symptoms) you’ll experience. This is because the joints of your neck (which are very small!) are under abnormal pressure from not being properly aligned. Now your neck muscles have to work harder to keep your head upright, causing tightness, strain, and pain.
The goal of chiropractic—especially the Pulley Method—is to improve your body's alignment and movement so your joints, muscles, and nervous system can function the way they were designed to. Over time, through accidents, injuries, and just “life,” you accumulate misalignments that negatively impact your posture, like causing this forward head carriage. By realigning you and getting your head back over your shoulders properly, it takes the pressure off your joints to allow them to heal, while letting your muscles finally relax.
And it can all be done without the neck “crack” adjustment nobody likes!
How Acupuncture May Help
Acupuncture is extremely helpful if your neck pain is primarily due to stress. Stress causes neck pain by tightening the muscles of your head, neck, and shoulders. You may have heard someone say, "My shoulders are up around my ears!"
I have a fantastic “anti-stress” acupuncture protocol to address the root cause, while also adding in personalized acupuncture points for your particular neck pain.
Acupuncture is also a great treatment to do in conjunction with chiropractic care. The chiropractic care gets to the postural root of the problem, while the acupuncture can help to loosen tight muscles, reduce inflammation, and help heal nerves to speed up the rate of healing and symptom relief.
What To Expect During Your Visit
Because there are so many causes of neck pain, the first thing I have to do is a thorough evaluation to determine what is causing your pain so I can recommend the best course of treatment (or refer you out if necessary). We'll start by talking about your neck pain, your health history, and any other concerns you may have before I perform a thorough physical evaluation. If necessary, I will order x-rays. Then we will discuss my diagnosis and recommendations for care.
Before you leave, I'll also give you personalized recommendations you can start using at home right away. Depending on your situation, that may include heat, topical pain relievers such as BioFreeze or Tiger Balm, stretches, or simple changes to your daily activities.
Dr. Janine’s Clinical Perspective
One thing that surprises many of my patients is that the location of the pain isn't always the source of the problem. Someone may come in with pain on one side of the neck, but the underlying cause could involve posture, muscle imbalance, a previous injury, or even how they're sleeping. That's one reason I take the time to perform a thorough evaluation before recommending treatment.
Mini FAQ
Q: Will you adjust my neck?
A: No, I do not believe it is necessary to adjust the neck above C7 (C7/T1 is the base of your neck). I have helped hundreds of people without using the dreaded “neck crack” technique!
Q: Should I get an x-ray before seeing a chiropractor?
A: Not usually. If I think imaging is necessary after your evaluation, I'll explain why and order the appropriate studies. Many cases of neck pain can be evaluated safely without imaging, while others truly benefit from it. But if you have your x-ray (or MRI) available, please send it to me before your first appointment so I can take a look!
Q: How many visits will it take?
A: No doctor can guarantee any treatment, but in my clinical experience, most people feel significant relief after a few visits. My typical recommendation is 2x/week for 6-8 weeks for chiropractic or 1x/week for 6-8 weeks for acupuncture, but I can estimate more accurately for your after your evaluation. (6-8 weeks is the average amount of time it takes for soft tissue injuries to heal.)
Q: Do I have to keep coming once I feel better?
A: No, but I recommend maintaining your improved posture once you feel better. Maintenance for the typical person is just once a month! 😊 Just like your car, you need to maintain your body to avoid problems.
Q: Will I feel sore afterward?
A: Maybe, but it is typically never worse than what’s bringing you in! In my experience, most people only feel sore after their first chiropractic treatment because their body is so used to being misaligned, it is unhappy about being back in the right place. Most people do not feel sore at all after acupuncture.
Q: Can I still exercise?
A: Most likely! My main recommendation is that if you feel great after treatment, maybe don’t climb a mountain the same day just in case! 😅
Q: Should I use heat or ice?
A: As an acupuncturist, we are typically anti-ice. Heat helps to improve circulation, while ice slows it down. If you feel like you need to cool the area, I recommend BioFreeze or something similar because it is cooling while promoting circulation.
Q: Is it common to wake up with neck pain?
A: Yes, it is quite common to wake up with neck pain. What typically happens is that you slept in a poor position (also known as “sleeping funny”), so your joints were under stress and your muscles were tight all night. Fortunately, an adjustment can often get you back on track quickly!
Additionally, I have recommendations to minimize future neck pain due to sleeping. First, you need a firm mattress. So if you’ve been sleeping on something old and broken, or something that’s just too soft and unsupportive, it is going to continue screwing up your alignment. We also need to get you used to sleeping on your side or back – stomach sleeping is never good for you because by definition, you need to sleep with your neck turned. The trick with back and side sleeping is to have your pillow height just right, which I can definitely help you with!
Related Conditions & Resources
For Neck Pain:
Shoulder Pain
TMJ
Whiplash
Upper Back Pain
What I Want My Patients to Know:
Neck pain is incredibly common, but that doesn't mean you have to simply "live with it." Whether your symptoms started yesterday or have been bothering you for years, my goal isn't just to reduce your pain—it's to understand why it's happening in the first place. Once we understand the cause, we can create a treatment plan that's tailored specifically to you.
Not sure whether chiropractic or acupuncture is the right fit for your neck pain? That's okay. One of the goals of your first visit is to determine what's causing your symptoms and whether chiropractic care is likely to help. If it isn't, I'll tell you - and if needed, I'll help point you toward the next appropriate step.