At Harvest Chiropractic, the most common health concern patients come to us for is neck pain – and it’s not even close. Many of the new patients we see every day from Sun Prairie and the greater Madison area, like most people in the United States today, have stagnant jobs where they work at a computer or desk and sit most of the day. Neck pain is so common due to spinal posture and lack of spinal motion associated with a sedentary lifestyle or desk job. The neck is vital because it houses the upper portion of the spinal cord and nervous system. Yet, it’s also incredibly mobile compared to the mid and low back regions. The neck has the most flexion, extension, and side-to-side motion. That mobility is critical in daily life, but the neck also supports the brain and skull, the body’s most crucial parts.
$49 Chiropractic New Patient Special
Includes consultation, examination, motion study x-rays, doctors report of findings.
Have you ever been in a car crash or had a concussion? Besides the damage done to the brain tissues, the neck is the second most damaged area with these injuries, and it’s vital to seek out a Chiropractor’s help. An accident can damage the joints in the neck and essential nerves that branch off from the spinal cord that supply the head, neck, shoulders, arms, and hands. Accidents aren’t the only cause of neck injury; repetitive motions we do every day could also be the culprit, like looking down at phones, computer screens, reading, etc. Many times, patients will come in with neck pain AND other symptoms such as headaches, migraines, shoulder issues, mid-back problems, numbness in the upper extremities, asthma, allergies, etc., as a result of long-standing, unresolved neck problems that have worsened over time.
We are focused on the spine’s mobility and ensuring optimal spinal posture. The spine’s main two functions are protecting the nervous system and allowing our bodies to move in space. If there are issues with the vertebra of the spine in regards to their movements and their orientation with one another, not only will we aggravate the soft tissues and create pain and arthritis, but more importantly, we will put pressure on the nervous system – the most important system in your body. It’s the master controller, controlling and coordinating every cell, tissue, organ, muscle, and function of the body. Nothing happens in our bodies without the nervous system controlling it. The spine is the armor protecting this master control system, and if there is a kink in the armor, we call them subluxations, we will have an unhealthy nervous system. If we have an unhealthy nervous system, we will have an unhealthy body that will lead to disease and dysfunction, with pain as a symptom.
How Our Neck Pain Care Plan Works
1. Prepare The Soil
Think of our health as a seed that needs to be nurtured. Our health outcomes are entirely dependent on the environment that we create for it. Quality food, nutrition, exercise, and Chiropractic care are the main pillars for positive or negative health outcomes. Just like sunlight, nutritious soil, and water create the best environment for a seed to grow and flourish, so are these pillars for our health.
2. Plant The Seed
Planting and harvesting are both verbs. Taking action to make healthy choices and to make Chiropractic a part of your healthcare routine is vital to making sure the seeds of health are planted in fertile soil.
3. Constantly Nurture
Consistently nurturing our health is vital to success. Sadly, we can’t just workout or eat healthy just once and expect great health results. True health and healing takes time and repetition for great results. Many people who come to see us have had issues that built up over the course of years. It will take time and repetition to correct these issues.
4. Reap What You Sow & Enjoy A Rewarding Harvest
If we make the right decisions, consistently over time, we will reap the rewards of good health. By creating the right environment for our body to heal and be healthy, we will be able to live free of pain, disease, and dysfunction.
How We Treat Neck Pain in Sun Prairie, WI
Thorough Consultation and Exam
When a patient seeks medical care for neck pain, stretches, physical therapy, and, if severe enough, medications are typically recommended. However, none of these modalities actually remove subluxation and help the spine function and move properly. They also don’t come close to addressing the nervous system component of the issue.
At Harvest Chiropractic, we perform a thorough consult, spinal exam, and motion study X-rays to find, adjust, and correct subluxations in the spine. We also work with our patients to change the posture of their spine to give them the best chance for success in improving their pain and neurological function. We have yet to see a patient with neck pain who hasn’t had subluxations. What this tells me is that if a patient isn’t getting adjusted for their neck dysfunction and pain, they aren’t truly fixing the cause of their issues. Why put the effort into something to help if it’s not fixing the problem?
Digital X-rays
We can’t stress enough the importance of thorough examination and X-rays in our office in the analysis and findings associated with neck pain. We took X-rays on a patient who said, “Wow, I can’t believe it’s as bad as it is, and I didn’t even know it.” I didn’t even have to explain the X-ray results to her; the severity of her neck curve distortion and the health of her bones and spinal discs was clear. Six out of the seven neck bones in her cervical spine had severe arthritis, and there was barely any noticeable disc space between the vertebrae. The nerves were pinched, her muscles were working overtime, and her neck had minimal range of motion. However, I know that with consistent adjusting and correction of her spinal curvature, she will find relief and freedom from her pain and neck dysfunction.
One of my favorite things about our office is that we take pre- and post-X-rays to see the changes that occur over the course of the patient’s care plan. It is amazing to see the immense change and improvement that occurs, and while the patient can feel the improvement, they also get to see it!
Muscle Work
While patients can feel pain in the muscles in and around their spine, this is usually caused by something deeper than a muscle issue. When there is an injury, instability, or a chronic repetitive motion injury, the nervous system recruits the muscles to work harder to prevent further injury and to stabilize the muscle. So, while the stressed muscle will cause pain, if we focus solely on the muscle, we will likely not find great results. Think of holding a bowling ball out in front of your body. Your bicep will become very stressed over time and create strain and pain. Would it be wise to stretch, massage, medicate, or even inject the muscle? Absolutely not. It would make more sense to ensure that the posture (bringing the bowling ball closer to the body) of the arm and shoulder and its movement are correct. If those two things happen, the bicep can relax and all the structures can move the way they are meant to move – as a result, the arm and bicep will be more relaxed and less painful, and they will function way better!
Common Causes of Neck Pain In Sun Prairie
Spinal Misalignments
Subluxations – misalignment of the spinal bones – put direct pressure on adjacent nerves, irritating the nervous system and causing inflammation and decay of the bones, discs, and joints. If left unresolved, the subluxations wreak havoc on the spine and nervous system; what starts as simple neck pain turns into a litany of problems – headaches, migraines, nerve pain in the extremities, etc. Seeking help at the onset of pain increases your chances of a full recovery when issues are much easier to fix rather than when patients wait months, even years, to get help. When bones, discs, and joints degenerate and become arthritic, it is much harder to see full resolution of their health concerns and pain. Think of bones, joints, and discs like tires on your car. If your car is out of alignment, the tires wear out prematurely and, if left unfixed, cause other issues. The same happens to these tissues in the spine. The nice thing about tires is that you can change them – you can’t do that with your spine and spinal discs.
Tech Neck
“Tech Neck” is extremely common today and results from repetitive bad posture from looking down at a phone or a computer screen day after day. Over time, this creates a curvature in the spine that is straight or reversed from what is optimal for the joints, discs, bones, spinal cord, and spinal nerves. An abnormal curvature causes aches and pains and neurological issues like headaches and migraines. Without fixing the spine’s posture and spinal misalignments known as subluxation, a patient’s success in overcoming their neck pain will be much more challenging.
Not only do we address spinal curves and subluxations, but we also work with our patients on ergonomics at their home office or place of work. We help them situate screens, keyboards, chairs, etc., to give their spine the best chance to be healthy and, therefore, help them feel the best they can so that their Chiropractic care can have the maximum effect in their lives.
Poor Posture
Slouching, leaning over electronic devices, improper sleeping positions, and even reading in bed strain the cervical spine. These postural habits compress nerves, tense muscles, misaligned vertebrae, and overload connective tissues.
Injuries
Car accidents (even minor fender-benders), falls, contact sports and other traumas commonly damage the spine’s delicate structures.
Osteoarthritis
As the neck ages, cartilage erodes, and bone spurs develop, causing inflammation/swelling. Gentle mobilization techniques reduce arthritis irritation.
Stress
When under pressure, people often unconsciously tense neck muscles or clench their jaw, leading to knotted tissues.
Disease
Underlying inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or disorders disrupting nerve signaling increase neck pain risks.
Check Out Our Location Near You
110 N Grand Ave #104, Sun Prairie, WI 53590
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a chiropractor in Sun Prairie, WI good for neck pain?
Absolutely! Chiropractors find and fix neck problems at their source to not only help relieve pain, but also correct them for good so that your neck pain improves and you can get back to what you want to, have to, and love to do.
When should you see a chiropractor for neck pain?
The sooner the better. It’s way easier to correct a small issue rather than a big one. The quicker you get help, the faster you will get results and have a higher chance of full resolution.
Is it okay to “pop” my own neck?
Short answer: yes.
Long answer: While it may momentarily relieve some of the pain in your neck, it isn’t actually fixing anything. The problem with subluxations is that without specific Chiropractic adjustments, the stuck bones will continue to be stuck. The bones moving that produce an audible “pop” in your neck are doing fine, but the ones that are stuck still won’t move. This makes the subluxation pattern worse and the subluxations more stuck. Finding and fixing the stuck, problematic vertebrae is important to fixing neck pain rather than just getting temporary relief.
Are chiropractors covered by insurance for neck pain?
Yes, they are! It depends on each person’s insurance plan and coverage, but most plans now cover chiropractic care for neck pain.
How can I relieve my neck pain?
In most cases, neck pain is difficult to relieve on your own, but making sure that how and where you work is as ergonomic as possible is important. Stretching and strengthening the neck is also a good place to start. However, most patients we see have tried these things with little improvement in their pain levels. A Chiropractor can help provide stretches, exercises, and ergonomic recommendations under their supervision, but more importantly, Chiropractic adjustments to fix the issues causing your pain.
At Harvest Chiropractic, our focus is our patients’ health. We know that patients and families who utilize our care are MUCH healthier than those who don’t. We look forward to serving you and your family in our office for neck pain or any other health issues you may be experiencing. If you have questions or want to schedule an appointment, please call us at 608-318-3602 or email us at [email protected]. We look forward to meeting you!
$49 Chiropractic New Patient Special
Includes consultation, examination, motion study x-rays, doctors report of findings.
