Neck Pain

The Janzen and Janzen Chiropractic Health Center located in Campbell, California, and serving San Jose, Los Gatos, and the greater South Bay Area has extensive experience in the treatment of neck and shoulder pain. Head aches are often associated with neck pain, and quite often...when we improve the function of your neck, we also minimize and/or eliminate the head aches you are experiencing.

When you are at your computer desk does it feel like you are constantly trying to get rid of the tight muscles in your neck and shoulders?

Most treatments fall short of addressing the root cause for chronically tight shoulders and upper back muscles because they do not address the root cause of neck and shoulder pain. Many people find that no matter what they do, the pain and muscle spasm continue to come back. Why is this?

Causes of neck pain: The number one cause of neck pain is the computer posture that so many of us assume today. When we sit at our desks and lean forward our necks undergo abnormal and static stresses and strains that prove to be detrimental. With this type of a posture we can put too much load on the discs and joints in our necks which will eventually lead to injury. The lack of motion while in these postures also results in a lack of blood flow which starves the tissues in the body of its vital nutrients. Unfortunately this process ends up becoming a cumulative injury cycle that builds up and gets worse with time.

What is the cumulative injury cycle?

Cummulative injury can be explained by the law of repetitive motion.

In this model:
Tissue injury=#of repitions X force of each repition/amplitude of each repition X rest between each repition

What this means is that anytime we do something too much and too often with our bodies without proper rest , even at low intensities, injury will occur (ex. Sitting at a computer for more than an hour at a time). Once this process is started it is a slippery slope into chronic neck and shoulder pain.

Getting At the Root cause

Researchers have discovered that the most pain sensitive structure in our spines is the outer layers of the discs. Theses outer layers are known as the annulus fibrosis. When the disc is subjected to irritating mechanical forces such as forward leaning postures it will let us know by neck and shoulder stiffness and pain. It will also cause the disc to flatten out and dry up which creates compressive forces on the joints from which we move our necks. When the joints are subjected to enough pressure they will cause pain referral that is often sent to the shoulder blade and trap area. THIS IS THE REASON THAT THE STIFFNESS AND PAIN IS SO PERSISTANT IN THE UPPER BACK AND TRAPS. Without fixing the problem in the joints it is unlikely that the muscles will ever completely relax. The photo to the left shows the pain pattern that occurs in your head, neck, and shoulders from specific joints in your neck. For example: If your C6/C7 neck joint is degenerated, you wil have upper back and lower neck pain (yellow area). It can be on one side or both.

Fixing Your Neck or Shoulder Pain Problems

The answer to neck and shoulder pain relief is:

1) Increase Nutrition to the Disc and neck joints

a. Exercise (Cardio and Core): Increased motion and strength of the spine and vascular system will stimulate nutrient flow and prevent further injury of the disc.

b. Stretch: Flexibility of the spine allows it to move more freely and takes pressure off of the areas of the spine that are being compressed.

c. Chiropractic Adjustments: Restore and maintain proper joint and disc motion. Remember, loss of motion is the #1 reason for joint and disc degeneration.

d. Traction / Flexion-Distraction of the Disc: This form of treatment has been shown to 1) Increase the intervertebral disc space height (reducing compression), 2) Create a negative pressure within the disc ( this causes a centripetal suction affect within the disc which will: a) increase diffusion of nutrients b) reduce the bulging disc back towards the center thereby taking pressure off the nerves) and 3) Increase the intervertebral foraminal area up to 28% (again reducing pressure on the discs and nerves)

e. Decompression: This treatment has similar effects as traction, but is performed by a specific decompression table. The decompression treatments can usually generate more traction on the disc for more sustained periods of time than standard traction treatments. Decompression is typically used when the disc and joint damage are more severe or are not responding to the standard traction / flexion-distraction treatments.

2) Protect the Disc and neck joints

a. Use your noggin: Use common sense throughout the day. Don’t do strenuous labor with poor technique, sit (motionless) for prolonged periods of time (computer jobs), 36 holes in 24 hours, etc.

b. Rest / Sleep: Our bodies need proper rest and recovery time to heal properly

c. Supplement with the nutrients your disc needs to heal: Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate are the precursors and building blocks for the cartilage in our discs. Sulfates are needed to create a strong link between the cartilaginous strands. MSM (Methyl-Sulphonyl-Methane) is one of the best sources of sulfur. Without it, the cartilage that our bodies make would be weak and more easily injured.

Our Address: 256 East Hamilton Ave., Suite F, Campbell, CA 95008, 408-379-0133