Your upper back and neck have a very important job – stabilizing your 14 pound head with small elastic bands of muscle!  This part of your spine is the least stabilized by muscles so it can be very flexible to allow for the necessary movement we need on a daily basis.  Because of these traits the neck is very susceptible to injury. 

The bones of the spine, called vertebrae, protect the spinal cord – the communications relay center of the body. The nerves that come off of the spinal cord in the neck and upper back send vital signals to the head, shoulders and arms.  This means that if you have a pain in your arm or shoulder it may actually be a problem in your neck!  Symptoms can feel like carpal tunnel syndrome or other conditions and feel like “pins and needles,” numbness, tingling, or aching.

Problems in the neck can also contribute to headaches, ringing in the ears, muscle spasms in the shoulders and upper back, otitis media (inflammation in the middle ear), temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), chronic tightness in the muscles of the neck and upper back, as well as restricted range of motion in this area.

The Causes of Neck and Upper Back Pain
Common causes of neck and upper back pain are injuries from accidents or sports, poor posture, subluxations, stress, and disc herniations. 

Stress
When you are emotionally or physically stressed your body responds by increasing your blood pressure and heart rate, flooding your body with stress hormones and tightening up your muscles.  Frequent stress causes chronic muscle tension which results in sore, weak and muscles loaded with trigger points.  If you are “stressed out” all the time and have neck and upper back pain it is important to do relaxation exercises, increase your activity level, and visit your chiropractor!

Injuries
The most common injury to the neck is whiplash.  Whiplash is caused by a sudden movement of the head in any direction that results in damage to the supporting muscles, ligaments and other connective tissues in this area.  Unfortunately, by the time the effects of whiplash are felt, some of the damage from the injury may have become permanent.  Many whiplash victims suffer from the effects long after insurance claims have been settled.  If you have been in an accident don’t assume you have escaped injury free just because you are not in any pain today.  Contact us for a thorough examination.

Poor Posture
One of the most common causes of neck pain and headaches is poor posture.  Bad posture habits can be easy to get into – you may not even realize you have bad posture.  Activities as simple as reading in bed or working at the computer can ultimately lead to pain, headaches, and more serious problems.