Neck, Shoulder and Joint Pain

What Causes Neck Pain?

Your neck protects your spinal cord and spinal nerves, while supporting and balancing the weight of your head.  Poor posture, wear and tear, injury, stress and tension can strain or damage vital parts of your neck.

A Healthy Neck Your neck (cervical spine) is aligned in a natural curve at the top of your spine.  Damage to your neck’s curve can cause painful problems.

Smart Support
Whether sleeping, sitting, standing, or driving, keep your neck healthy by remembering good posture, keeping a straight and well supported spine.  Your chiropractor can tell you about simple exercises for increasing the strength and flexibility of your neck.

Spinal Checkups
Just as you need regular dental exams, you also need regular spinal exams.  Even if you don’t have symptoms, chiropractic care is one of the best ways to help prevent spinal problems.  Your doctor of chiropractic can help you and your family maintain healthier lives free of neck and pain.

What Is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a slow degeneration of the joints that connect your bones and allow you to move. Aging, injury, poor posture and excess weight can cause joints to wear down and become stiff and painful.

Healthy Joints

Inside each joint, the ends of the bones are covered with a tough tissue called cartilage. In healthy joints, the cartilage is smooth and slick, so the bones can move easily.

Arthritic Joints

With osteoarthritis, the cartilage becomes rough and pitted. As the joints wear down, calcium deposits, spurs (bony outgrowths) and swelling may develop. This restricts movement and causes pain.

What Can I Do to Keep My Joints in Shape?

Do gentle exercise, such as swimming and walking, but slow down if you feel pain. Limit your activities to shorter periods of time and avoid high-risk or high-impact sports. Eating a low-fat, low-calorie diet may also improve your health, since losing excess weight can help relieve pressure on your joints.

What Causes Shoulder Pain?

Your shoulder is very flexible, but it's also fragile. Pain in your shoulder can result from one of a number of causes. An irritated nerve in your neck, repeated overuse, or an injury, can cause inflammation and stiffness and make everyday activities painful.

Referred Pain

A vertebra in your neck that isn't moving properly can irritate a nerve and cause aching or pain in your neck, arm, or shoulder.

Bursitis

Overuse can inflame the bursa (the fluid-filled sac that protects the surface of the bones), causing pain and stiffness.

Rotator Cuff Problem

Injury to the tendons and muscles that connect your arm to your shoulder can cause pain with certain movements.

What Can I Do to Keep My Shoulder in Shape?

Listen to your body and stop doing things that cause pain in your shoulder. Do any exercises your chiropractor suggests, to strengthen your shoulder.