Approximately 30% of people in the U.S. have chronic neck pain, and 70% of people will deal with neck pain at some point in their lives. Neck pain is so common now more than ever before because of technology. Americans use their cell phones all day, every day, and are constantly looking down at a screen. This causes what is called forward head posture and puts a lot of stress on the cervical spine.
The cervical spine or neck is made up of the 7 vertebrae from C1-C7. C1, or the Atlas, is a ring that surrounds and protects the brainstem. C2-C7 each have a vertebral body and a disc in between. Neck pain is typically disc-related. The vertebra gets jarred out of its normal, healthy position, putting pressure on the nerves. Chiropractors call this a subluxation. A subluxation in the neck can not only cause neck pain, but also affect where the nerves exit the spine at those levels. So things like headaches, shoulder and arm pain, sinus problems, or even immune system issues.
The conventional medical treatment for neck pain is pain medication or muscle relaxers to mask symptoms. The chiropractic approach is different and more effective because we identify the cause of neck pain through a specific, detailed examination and x-rays. We will then correct the subluxations by adjusting the vertebrae, taking pressure off the nerves, allowing the body to function correctly, and relieving neck pain.
$99 New Patient Special
Includes consultation with your doctor, thorough chiropractic examination and customized plan of action. Excludes Medicare.
How Our Care Plan Works
1. Discover The Root Cause
Instead of chasing symptoms, we take time to find out why you’re experiencing them. Our thorough exam helps reveal the underlying issues so we can address them with confidence.
2. Your Goals. Our Findings.
We combine your goals, your lifestyle and your expectations with our clinical findings to build a clear, personalized plan aligned with where you want to go.
3. Become A Stronger, Healthier Version Of You
With consistent, corrective-focused care, you don’t just feel better—you function better. We’re here to help you rebuild your health from within and be your best self.
How We Treat Neck Pain In Westford, MA
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
When a patient comes into our office with neck pain, we conduct a thorough consultation and exam to identify the cause. This begins with a detailed patient history, followed by a thermographic skin-temperature scan and a posture analysis. Then we perform a thorough Gonstead chiropractic exam, including an irritability test, static palpation, and complete spinal x-rays. This comprehensive exam helps us to identify the cause of your symptoms so we can help you get rid of your neck pain.
Digital X-rays
We take full spinal X-rays when a patient presents to our office with neck pain. We always want to see what is going on with a patient’s spine before we adjust them. We look for disc space narrowing and cervical spine curves, as well as any degeneration or osteophyte formation. Based on the level of degeneration in the spine, which determines how severe and how long the problem has been there. That will help us determine the best treatment to relieve your neck pain.
Specific Chiropractic Care in Westford, MA
We use a specific technique called Gonstead in our practice. We conduct a thorough examination and analysis to identify subluxations and correct them. We get great results with this technique for treating neck pain.
Common Causes of Neck Pain in Westford, MA
Herniated or Bulged Disc
One of the common causes of neck pain is a herniated disc or a disc bulge. The disc is the cushion between each vertebra with an outer ring (annular fibers) and a soft gel-like center (nucleus pulposus).
The only way to determine if you have a herniation or bulge is through an MRI. The difference is that a disc bulge pushes outward evenly and the outer disc fibers remain intact, whereas a herniation, the disc tears and the inner nucleus pulposus leaks out (one is a rupture, one isn’t).
Disc bulges typically result from poor posture, degeneration, or repetitive stress and may or may not cause pain. Many people have disc bulges and don’t even know it. A herniation is the result of lifting or twisting, or a disc bulge that progressively gets worse. A herniation in the neck often causes sharp pain, numbness, and tingling travelling down the arm. The best treatment is specific Gonstead chiropractic adjustments to take the pressure off the nerve, allowing the disc to heal.
Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative Disc Disease in the neck is wear and tear in the spine caused by subluxations that are undetected and uncorrected. Over time, the discs in between the vertebrae begin to thin, break down, and degenerate. The healthy cervical curve is lost, and there is more irritation to the nerves, resulting in neck pain.
Tech Neck
A more recent cause of neck pain is “tech neck” or “text neck,” which is associated with technology, specifically cell phones. Looking straight ahead with good posture weighs approximately 10lbs. When you look down at your phone, that can add 50-60 pounds more pressure! Your neck has to work harder to support your head, leading to muscle strain, subluxation, degeneration, and more neck pain.
Subluxation
The leading cause of neck pain is what chiropractors call subluxation. A subluxation occurs when a spinal bone, or vertebra, misaligns from its normal position, irritating the nerves. If a subluxation is not corrected, this will cause degeneration in the spine, loss of cervical curve, and eventually pain.
We identify subluxations through a thorough chiropractic exam, including a nerve scan, thermography, posture analysis, palpation, and full-spine x-rays. We correct subluxations by adjusting misaligned vertebrae with a specific hands-only technique, relieving nerve irritation and allowing the body to heal correctly. Chiropractors are the best for correcting subluxations because we are the only ones trained to do it! We get to the cause of neck pain and fix it.
Check Out Our Location Near You
234 Littleton Rd Unit B Suite 1A, Westford, MA 01886
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a chiropractor in Westford, Massachusetts, good for neck pain?
Yes, the chiropractors at Corrective Care Chiropractic are trained in the Gonstead technique. We get great results with patients who have neck pain because we are specific in our approach, the process, and the correction of the problem.
When should you see a chiropractor for neck pain?
You should get your spine checked by a chiropractor as soon as possible. If you have neck pain that has been present for a while, it is a signal that something in your spine is out of alignment, causing nerve irritation. By the time you have symptoms, the problem has already been there for a while, so the sooner you get it corrected, the better!
Is it ok to “pop” or “crack” my own neck?
We advise against popping your own neck. More than likely, you are “cracking” your own neck at the wrong joint, and this can cause hypermobility (too much movement) and cause degeneration of the cervical spine. Chiropractors are trained to restore mobility to the exact vertebra that is misaligned. When you start seeing a chiropractor regularly for neck pain, the need to “crack” your own neck will go away, as well as your neck pain.
Is chiropractic or massage better for neck pain?
Massage is excellent for relaxing muscles and reducing neck tension. Chiropractic care addresses the root cause of neck pain: spinal misalignment, which can irritate nerves (subluxation). It realigns misaligned vertebrae, restoring healthy spinal function, allowing the body to heal, and relieving neck pain.
Why does my neck hurt on one side?
Your neck may hurt on one side only, depending on the misalignment of the vertebra and where the nerves are irritated. Chiropractors call this subluxation. Subluxations misalign the spinal bones, leading to nerve irritation and pain on one or both sides of the neck.
$99 New Patient Special
Includes consultation with your doctor, thorough chiropractic examination and customized plan of action. Excludes Medicare.