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Healthy Neck

Pain in the neck is more than a pain in the neck. It will damage your health. Here we explain what is healthy, what goes wrong, and how to fix it.

Anatomy of the neck

Your neck is a MARVEL of ENGINEERING. It has seven bones or vertebrae. The top two bones, called the ATLAS and AXIS, have a special relationship and sit in a critical location. The base of your brain, your BRAINSTEM, actually extends down into the top of your neck. The rest of the vertebrae have a soft disc between each one. The purpose of the discs is to leave space for the NERVES which exit at each level. Your neck is a remarkable structure, this is what you ask of it….

Hold the weight of my head; around 4-5kg!
Support the weight of my shoulders and arms. When I lift a weight, so does my neck.
Contain and protect the supply of blood, and CSF (the “irrigation”) to my brain.
Pass all of the important NERVES and their SIGNALS from my BRAIN to my BODY.
And still be able to move freely and look over both shoulders…!
It is no wonder that injuries to this area can affect ANY part of your health, and ruin your enjoyment of life.

Two Keys to a Healthy Neck

There are TWO KEYS to having a healthy neck, everything else follows:

Healthy Alignment

This is the most important, yet overlooked part of neck health. The alignment of your neck affects the probability of having pain and degeneration, and can affect much of your long-term health. Your neck should NOT BE STRAIGHT. It should have a deep, relaxed curve. This allows space for the spinal cord to relax without pressure, and for the fluid which irrigates your brain (CSF) to flow freely. Your head should also sit directly ABOVE your shoulders… tipping it forward just a little hugely increases the pressure on your neck and nerves, causing loss of curve, and long term problems.

Healthy Mobility

Your neck should turn all the way over both shoulders, tip to the sides, and look up at the ceiling WITHOUT PAIN OR RESTRICTION. The mobility needs to come from ALL levels of your neck. We often see patients who have certain areas which are heavily SUBLUXED. They don’t move well, they may be degenerated, and the nerves are under stress. But they have other areas which are HYPERmobile. They think their neck is fine, as they can look over both shoulders. But the SUBLUXATIONS cause major nerve stress, poorer health, and eventually spinal damage.

“Think about all that time staring down towards a mobile phone, and imagine how those thousands of hours will affect your neck curve, and ultimately your health.”

Glenn DuffyDoctor of Chiropractic

Two Types of Neck Damage

We mostly think of damage in terms of accidents- like car accidents or falls, and these are certainly important. However we all suffer far more trauma for something far less accidental…

Chronic Postural Trauma

For every 3cm your head moves forward, the pressure on your neck increases by over 5kg! So bent over your mobile phone, your neck now supports up to a 30kg weight! Now multiply this by the total hours you spend looking at screens per week, and you start to realise why we are seeing an epidemic of Deep neck problems.

The damage from this becomes permanent when your neck becomes subluxed, and although you return our head to an upright position, your neck stays subluxed. Over time the nervous stress robs you of your health. Eventually causing pain. It is no surprise that 1 in 3 office workers get neck and shoulder pain.

“Whiplash”

Even the smallest “whiplash” is a BIG DEAL! At only 8kph (fast walking speed), the forces on your neck can cause permanent damage. Think of falls playing sports, from the trampoline, or on the stairs through your life. The LONGER AGO it was, the BIGGER THE PROBLEM!

If you had a whiplash yesterday, your neck has not had time to scar or get into the bad habit of SUBLUXATION. It is relatively easy to stay well with the correct treatment. If it was 5, 10, 20 years ago, then that is a lot of scar tissue and HABIT to undo. It doesnt matter if it has been causing pain or not. In fact, some of the worst degeneration we see is when people have not had enough pain to act sooner!

More time = More scar = Bigger Problem = Slower to Heal Fully

Symptoms of an unhealthy neck

It would be easy to assume that neck problems cause… neck pain. But the problem is FAR bigger than that. The truth is that an unhealthy neck can cause such a wide range of symptoms and bad health. In many of these, it is not obvious that the neck is the CAUSE… Here are some of the problems caused by an unhealthy neck;

Headaches

It is no surprise that headache sufferers worldwide turn to Chiropractors for help. The biggest headache category is called “Cervicogenic”… in Latin meaning “originating in the neck”. This condition is far more likely if you have a loss of curve in your neck. And yet for most people the only solution offered is regular use of pain-killers, with all of the long-term side effects. Some try massage or similar therapy, which usually helps by giving temporary relief. Many, many chronic headache sufferers have lasting, life-changing improvements when they start Chiropractic care.

Woman Suffering From Neck Pain Using Hand Massage Painful Neck A

Vertigo & Dizziness

Your upper neck is a key balance centre, and can even affect how your ears and balance centres work. It is very common to experience some degree of dizziness when your neck is unhealthy. Clinical research has shown that improving the deep neck posture (curve) can result in resolution of dizziness. In reality, dizziness is often accompanied by headaches, as symptoms of neck health issues.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

A huge percentage (30-75%) of people with Carpal Tunnel symptoms have a neck problem. In fact many do not even have any wrist problem! This is even more probable if you are experiencing symptoms BOTH sides. Sleeping in an awkward posture, compressing the nerves at the base of your neck will often cause compression of the nerves to your hands. It is essential to get a second opinion on the condition of your neck from a qualified Chiropractor before having any irreversible surgery or procedures done to your wrists.

Asian man with painful and inflamed gout on his hand.

Tennis Elbow, Golfer´s Elbow

Chronic elbow pains which feel, look and behave like tennis or golfers elbow may actually come from the neck, and are called “false” tennis, or “false” golfers’ elbow. Up to 70% of people with neck damage can have tennis elbow! In fact if it is BOTH sides… it is probably coming from your neck. 90% of people who have tennis elbow OVER 4 weeks duration will respond to Neck care! It just makes sense to check the neck first, as the healing of your arms depends on having a healthy neck. All people undergoing physiotherapy for tennis elbow should also have their necks checked by a qualified Chiropractor and corrected as needed.

Frozen Shoulder

90% of nerve compression in the neck will first show as a shoulder or arm pain. In fact there are many symptoms of the shoulder which originate in the neck. Over 80% of frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) which does not have a clear trauma such as a fall as the cause is due to neck health problems. If your shoulder problem lasts more than 4 weeks, it makes sense to check your neck properly before undergoing any procedures, which may have not been necessary.

Rear view of a young man holding his neck in pain, isolated on w

Spondylosis or Neck Degeneration

Masking a deeper neck problem with painkillers, or temporary relief from massage, may be “OK” short-term. But even if the pain goes away, the deeper injury has to scar. Deep tissue scars form around the ligaments and discs. The pain went away last year, but now your neck is quickly degenerating as calcium deposits into those scars. Your neck feels stiff, but that has become “normal”. And then those calcium deposits start to stick together, and bony peaks start to occur around the discs. This is called neck degeneration or Cervical Spondylosis. HOPEFULLY this causes you pain, and you seek treatment before it is too late. If you have no pain, you may not know it is happening. If you leave it too late, then the bones form “bridges” over the joint space… basically fusing together your neck.

Herniated Disc

As your neck is designed to hold 4-5kilogrammes, tipping it forward places extra stress on the discs. Sitting over a Laptop or Mobile Phone gradually fatigues and wears your discs. Even without a previous fall or car accident, the discs now start to bulge into that SMALL space where your spinal cord and nerves sit. What you FEEL depends on what part of the nerve it touches. You could get shooting pain, or you could start to get weaker into the hand. In some cases you may feel nothing. Herniated discs are more likely to happen when you have lost the healthy, deep neck curve which is essential for health. Recovering the healthy curve and mobility, and reducing the effective weight on your neck is critical to avoiding unnecessary degeneration, hernias, and even surgery.

“We are shocked to hear of people undergoing surgery for shoulder, elbow or wrist complaints, without having had proper assessment and correction of their neck. It makes sense to try correcting your neck first, as surgery is NEVER fully reversible.”

Glenn DuffyDoctor of Chiropractic

If you needed motivating to get Adjusted regularly, for LIFE, this is a strong one… Keep your neck healthy, mobile and YOUNG irrespective of any PAINs or symptoms.

READY TO FREE YOUR NECK?

Discover the INNATE POWER that is within you and overcome the ROAD TO RECOVERY & WELLNESS. Are you ready?

DISCOVER HOW HERE

Less Obvious Damage from an Unhealthy Neck

The bigger picture is that the digital world, full of screens and poor postures, is causing an epidemic of Neck Health problems. Robbing people of a healthy, happy life.

If you have a painful neck, then at least you can hear your body calling for help. Then it is up to you to act. If you don’t act, then you only have yourself to blame. The sad reality is that many people have deep neck problems, without ever being aware of it.

From lack of co-ordination to insomnia, from fatigue to lack of concentration, and from altered metabolism (thyroid function) to increased emotional stress, an unhealthy Neck turns down the quality of anyone´s life. Research shows that the positioning of the top bone (atlas) can affect your blood pressure, and that degeneration in your neck is linked to heart arrythmias. Some research even links neck health to longevity! And most people don’t even know they are suffering from it…

The image opposite shows some of the organs that the nerves of your neck supply.

Chiropractic Care and Your Healthy Neck

Most of us don’t really look after our spines properly. We wait until we have some “symptoms” to make a change. So many patients start with us with neck pain, headaches, herniated discs or degeneration in their neck. And while they get amazing results, the truth is that WE DO NOT TREAT any of these conditions.

That may sound confusing, but the sole focus of true Chiropractic care is to free up interference in the spine so that your body can HEAL ITSELF. The importance of this cannot be overstated… we do not treat any of these conditions! Our goal is to improve your spinal health, nothing else. The curing from painful injuries, is very literally a SIDE EFFECT of improved spinal health.

Today, so-called “health care” focuses on just treating the painful condition. This goes for most natural therapies too. Medicine has got us so used to “turning off symptoms” that we have forgotten how to simply become more healthy.

The pain goes away for a while, but the POOR HEALTH of the spine persists. It is no surprise that many patients get SYMPTOMATIC PAIN CARE from Chiropractors and other therapists, only for the same or other problems to come back time and again, plaguing your life and resulting in premature degeneration, disc hernias, and gradual loss of health. And most people call this AGEING!!!

This is very short-sighted and something that we at Duffy Quiropractica are not interested in. If you just want a “patch”, then you are as well off taking painkillers.

When you start with us, we only focus on making your spine and body healthy again, and that is the ONLY way to TRUE HEALTH, WELLNESS, and RESILIENCE.

In fact, a good chiropractor does NOT want to know too much about where it hurts, as this can distract us from the main goal… improving your spinal health, for GOOD.

Our examinations are exhaustive. Based on the findings, we make recommendations for how to restore HEALTH to your spine. At the core of what we do are Chiropractic Adjustments, Ergonomic, and Postural changes. But include:

Detailed Postural Analysis, using digital photography and other imaging.
Balance testing
Spinal Stress (SEMG) testing, which may show hidden stress in your spine.
Nervous system balance testing.
Chiropractic Examination, including
Orthopaedic and Neurological Testing

WANT TO CHANGE YOUR NECK?

Our goal is not to make you feel better, temporarily, but to make you Healthier, Happier, More Resilient, for LIFE.

HOW TO START

Neck MythBuster

But my neck problems are “JUST MUSCULAR”

If you lifted a weight within the past week, and you have neck pain which then RESOLVES, then your neck pain was probably muscular. But if it has been going on for more than a few weeks, you need to ask, WHAT CONTROLS THE MUSCLES?!?!?! Your NERVES control your muscles, and nearly ALL chronic “muscle pains” are due to altered nerve pressure.

We all love a back massage! But it’s pretty obvious that, if you need to get massage regularly just to feel OK, the problem is not your muscles.

(By the way it´s fine to continue to get massage when you are under care, just ask us about the TIMING of your massages…)

My Neck Looks Straight, so it is fine.

Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to see your posture without a professional assessment. In fact Military Neck- caused by trying to stand TOO STRAIGHT AND TALL describes the flattening of the curve. Many gymnasts, ballerinas, or ex-military personnel look great on the surface, but suffer from deep neck problems.

My neck was clicked back into place, and is fixed...

Unskilled manipulation WILL NOT FIX SUBLUXATIONS. It will make your neck feel better, temporarily, but can actually cause more PROBLEMS, PAIN, and DEGENERATION long-term. We see many people who have had lots of manipulation, but their neck condition is terrible when we assess them.

We do not MANIPULATE, we only ADJUST.

ADJUSTMENT OF THE SUBLUXATIONS, in the hands of a skilled professional is the only way to recover normal function. Only place the health of your neck in the hands of someone Trustworthy, with International-Level qualifications.

Its OK to click my neck as it feels better

Self-manipulation… moving or forcing your neck until it clicks… can often give huge relief. Then a few hours later you do it again. Before you realise you are doing it many times a day, too often to count. It is the only thing which relieves your tired, aching neck and shoulders…

The bad news is that the levels which click WILL NOT BE THE SUBLUXATIONS! The subluxations stay “stuck” while the levels around it click, relaxing the muscles. But the problem remains and needs more and more Self-manipulation. The long-term picture is not good.

(BTW the same can happen if you get manipulated by an unskilled therapist).

Eventually it becomes impossible to “click yourself” anymore, and you go into crisis mode. Do yourself a favour and see a good Chiropractor before degeneration sets in and the problems become permanent.

Manipulation of the neck is dangerous

Chiropractic has the safest record of any registered healthcare profession in the western world. Your neck is totally safe in the hands of a properly qualified Doctor of Chiropractic.

A properly qualified Chiropractor will have 5 years of University Level study, plus ongoing studies. Unfortunately, unskilled “Manipulation” has been confused with Chiropractic Adjustment. This happens more in countries where they have not yet protected patients by creating a register of Chiropractors. In Spain, for example, there are people who call themselves Chiropractors, without any “serious” qualifications… We often see people who have been injured by such manipulation. Here in Marbella there are a number of therapists doing this. Always ensure that you ONLY see someone with Internationally recognised qualifications. In Spain this means belonging to the Association of Chiropractors AEQ.

I am too old for Chiropractic care

There is no minimum or maximum age for Chiropractic care. And anyone who tells you so simply does not know. There are hundreds of different techniques which a good Chiropractor will use. We see babies who are days old, disabled children with brittle bone disease, and even patients at 100 years old! It is a matter of seeing a Chiropractor who has the expertise to choose the right technique for you.

Wearing a Neck Collar will help my neck

Some people continue to recommend a neck collar, despite overwhelming consensus that they are BAD NEWS. They are great immediately following a car accident, before you get x-rays. Thereafter they cause limitation of movement, scarring, and longer term problems. If someone recommends wearing a neck collar, get a second opinion.

Healthy Neck

Anatomy of the neck