Pain is an interesting condition. Did you know there is no way to measure pain? It’s entirely subjective, meaning we each have our own unique experience of pain. Some people have a high pain threshold and others a very low one.
We all have people who are a pain in the neck!
But, neck pain is no laughing matter.
In the US the attitude toward pain is that it is something to shut down whenever it shows up. People routinely medicate themselves to alleviate their pain. If all you are doing to address chronic or recurrent neck pain you are taking risks.
Take a look at the risks of overusing painkillers:
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Itching
- Sweating
- Depression
- A weakened immune system
- Compromised (slow) breathing, which can potentially lead to respiratory failure
- Increased Tolerance, requiring more of the drug to get the desired effect
- Dependence, causing you to experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms if you don’t take it regularly or stop taking it abruptly
- Addiction
- A cross-over addiction – the opioid crisis is a prime example
Approaching pain in an appropriate way is critical. Many people reach for the Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or Ibuprofen at the slightest pain. Even these medications have their risks.
- Acetaminophen can cause liver and kidney damage and is the leading cause of acute liver failure.
- Ibuprofen can cause ulcers, heart attacks, and strokes.
We all experience periodic pain. It’s part of life. It’s when the pain is severe, long-lasting, or recurrent that we should pay attention.
Pain is the Language of the Body
Rather than simply shut the pain down, I suggest you listen to the pain. What might your body be trying to tell you? Is there any injury? Are you doing something to create the pain? Is there something that needs addressing?
I don’t want to experience pain any more than you do but if the pain keeps returning you might be better served to take another approach.
The human body is amazing. It does most everything to keep us healthy without our having to direct it. Here are 3 core attributes of our bodies:
- Self-Monitoring: the body is continually monitoring thousands upon thousands of reactions and processes every second of everyday without our awareness. Everything from enzymes to hormones to neurotransmitters to digestion to hear rate to immune function.
- Self-Regulating: the body is continually making adjustments based on the information from its monitoring.
- Self-Healing: the body is in a continual state of repair and healing. It repairs and replaces damaged cells and tissue and defends against viral and bacterial invaders.
Why the Neck is so Important
The entire spine is important because of its relationship with the brain and spinal cord. All those functions listed above are controlled and coordinated by the nervous system. The neck is especially important because the upper neck is home to the brainstem which is the control center for all those functions.
Imbalances in the neck can put tension and pressure on the brainstem and cause a host of challenges. It is one of the primary reasons there is commonly an overactivation of the “Fight-or-Flight” system that is present in almost every pain and health condition.
3 Little Appreciated Causes of Neck Pain
Cause #1: Old Trauma: Not a week goes by when I don’t see someone who has no idea what has caused their neck pain, low back pain, headaches, etc. They will relate no recent accidents or injuries that match up with the timeline of their neck pain. Often the neck pain is an issue that has been with them for years.
When we dig a bit deeper there are almost always some accidents or injuries. Often there is what they describe as a minor car accident in which they weren’t injured and walked away. They didn’t get any sort of care or very short term care.
When we have x-rays taken of the neck they show a very different story. A neck that has been involved in trauma shows it and the story on x-rays shows a combination of the severity of the trauma and the length of time.
Cause #2: Modern Postures: We tend to think if something doesn’t hurt while we are doing it then it can’t be causing a problem. The average head weighs 11 lbs. If you look at someone from the side the center of their ear should line up directly above their shoulder. When the head moves forward an inch it increases the load on the small muscles and joints of the neck by an additional 11 lbs. This is true for every inch the head moves forward.
Next time you are in a store or a coffee shop look around at people on their phones. Their heads are often flexed completely forward. The stress to the neck is tremendous. It wouldn’t be a big deal if we did this 5 minutes a day but the total time is in the hours.
Add in computer work and other forward head postures and you have the perfect recipe for developing chronic neck pain, headaches, and arthritis.
Cause #3: Improper Sleep Position and Pillow Size: If you sleep on your stomach you will cause yourself neck problems over time. There is no way around that. In order to lie face down your neck has to be turned for hours at a time. Try to turn your head to one side while sitting for even 5 or 10 minutes.
Sleeping on your back requires an entirely different size pillow than sleeping on your side. On your side your pillow needs to be fairly firm and hold its shape. It must fill the space between your shoulder and your neck without your neck bending much either way. On your back you need a very small pillow with more cushion under your neck and very little under your head.
We spend at least 6 to 8 hours in bed every night. If your pillow is not properly supporting your neck you will likely develop problems over time.
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