Oh Well!
HEALTH
What a Pain in the Neck!
If your neck or back have been hurting more since you started working from home, don’t fret. All you may need is a little adjustment. The world has changed in many ways the past couple years. This is especially true with lifestyle changes, since many more people are now working from home. Along with that
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The Local
WI N TE R G AR DE N
change comes new challenges, and sometimes new pains. As a chiropractor, I’ve noticed more patients dealing with lower neck/upper back pain. This has always been a
common issue, but recently, almost every single patient has said this “new pain” started shortly after setting up their work-from-home station. Luckily, this is usually fairly easy to address. The first thing I talk to patients about is addressing any issues with the ergonomics at their work from home station. After that, we start on treatment, focusing on soft tissue (muscle) work in the area. Generally the muscles surrounding the area will be rather tight and we can relax those muscles through electric muscle stimulation, stretching, and myofascial release. We then move into the adjustment for the lower neck and upper back. This area where the cervical spine (neck) and thoracic spine (mid-back) meet and is known as the cervicothoracic junction, or the CT junction. During the adjustment, the goal is to break up fibrous adhesions in the joints of the CT junction that cause inflammation and restrict joint mobility. This allows for better movement, reduced pain, and better functioning while also causing the surrounding muscles to relax. This increase in movement and decreased muscle tension from the adjustment gives us a window of time to work on strengthening the area. The combination of the muscle work, the adjustment, and the strengthening exercises provides the most beneficial treatment to these patients for not only pain relief, but also for preventing future pains.
Connor Kelley, D.C.
Chiropractor at Greater Orlando Chiropractic & Wellness. Connor is a fourth-generation Central Floridian who grew up in Leesburg. His interest in the field began when chiropractic treatment helped him recover from a football injury in High School.
