If you’re reading this, you or someone you care about is likely experiencing neck pain. Let’s talk about real solutions that actually fix the cause of the problem versus temporarily masking or reducing the symptoms! Chiropractic care consistently appears in scientific research as the #1 choice in health care when it comes to fixing neck pain compared to other medical therapies. 1, 2, 3, 4
Since up to 30% of neck pain cases become chronic and cause long-term (and even permanent) problems that affect other aspects of your health and function, it’s critical to fix the cause as soon as possible!
Neck pain is a prevalent condition affecting a large percentage of the population. Up to 70% of people will experience neck pain and its serious impact on their daily lives. A long list of potential factors contributes to neck pain’s prevalence. A few of the most common ones include poor posture and “tech neck”; muscle strain and ligament sprains; injuries and trauma; decay and degeneration of neck joints; stress and tension; workplace factors; and underlying medical conditions.
Your neck is composed of many structures. Multiple layers of muscles surround the seven bones that make up the cervical spine. Inside your spine, the spinal cord (which controls everything in your body via the electrical brain signals that travel through it) is protected by the specific shape of the neck joints.
Your neck should look like a banana, not straight, nor stuck in a curve bending in the opposite direction. Imagine bending a banana in the opposite direction; what would happen to the inside!? The position of your head needs to be above the shoulders, not forward. Several studies show that being stuck in an abnormal, forward-flexed position has serious neurological consequences and can lead to several disorders and symptoms. 5, 6, 7
In between each joint is a spinal disc allowing space for the nerve roots to exit. Any one of these tissues and structures can be responsible for generating the acute pain or chronic issues you’re experiencing. The critical first step in fixing neck pain is to properly diagnose the source of the pain.
When the structures of the head and neck become stuck and misaligned, this is called subluxation. This change in neck shape and the abnormal stressors it puts on the spinal cord is why common neck pain can become chronic and damaging to your overall health and function if not corrected early! The spinal cord and nerve roots control everything in your body, so I hope you can see how important it is to keep a healthy, aligned spine and nervous system. A stuck spine also leads to accelerated aging and joint decay. It even delays your body’s healing processes well before any symptoms show up, according to the Journal of Clinical Biomechanics. 8
One of the most important things you can do to find the cause of your neck pain and get back to being healthy is to get examined by a qualified doctor of Chiropractic.
How Our Neck Pain Care Plan Works
Stop masking the symptoms and get to the root cause of your neck pain
1. Be Truly Heard
And Understood
Far too many people have told us that they felt like their doctor was not listening, and rushed off after filling yet another prescription, ignoring the true cause of their issue. Let’s change that so you can finally be heard.
2. Take The First Step
Towards Healing
“We don’t guess…we test.” The first step is finding the cause of your neck pain. Our state-of-the-art facility allows us to gather the evidence to support the diagnoses and clinical decisions that help you get better, faster.
3. Be More.
Do More.
We create a customized care plan based on five key areas of health to address the root cause of your neck pain getting you back to the best version of YOU, faster. Get healthy, stay healthy. Be more, do more. That’s what TRUE healthcare looks like.
How We Treat Neck Pain In Grand Rapids, MI
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
Our chiropractic clinic in Grand Rapids, Michigan, takes a holistic approach to treating neck pain. Our main goal is to identify the root cause of the problem and develop an individualized treatment plan that ensures long-term relief for our patients. Developing a suitable action plan is based on the exam results gathered during the first visit. We perform a thorough health history and perform all indicated orthopedic and neurological examinations. If necessary, we’ll also perform an sEMG nerve scan to identify areas of severe irritation and take digital spine radiographs. After the doctor has evaluated the test results, the patient can usually be seen for the first treatment no later than the next day.
Because the modern medical system does not usually focus on finding and fixing the cause of your neck pain, many individuals are needlessly enduring pain that often gets worse over time while others are presented with limited options, such as potentially risky and addictive medications or invasive surgeries, when neck pain persists. Although neck pain may initially seem minor and inconsequential, its impact can be life-altering if not promptly managed. Do not let yourself become a victim of a failed surgery or life-long prescriptions, and get checked as soon as possible!
Specific Chiropractic Care in Grand Rapids, MI
Subluxation…the silent killer
As chiropractors, we primarily deal with something called vertebral subluxation. This simply means that the joints are not completely dislocated but misaligned. This may not sound serious, but subluxation/misalignments of the spinal joints create inflammation in and around the joints affected.
A spinal subluxation is a misalignment or biomechanical dysfunction of the spine, specifically in the joints. Vertebral subluxations can disrupt nerve function, impede the body’s natural healing abilities, and negatively affect overall health. Here at Legacy Family Chiropractic, we are experts in correcting subluxations. The aim is to restore proper alignment and function to the spine and nervous system, leading to improved nerve communication and increased healing abilities.
A subluxation in the cervical spine (neck region) can lead to various issues. It may cause localized neck pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion. Additionally, cervical subluxations can potentially pinch or irritate nearby nerves, leading to radiating pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in the neck, shoulders, arms, or hands. Some individuals may also experience headaches, dizziness, or other neurological symptoms due to neck subluxations.
Receiving a chiropractic adjustment (by instrument or hand) is one of the fastest and most effective methods to safely eliminate your neck pain. Based on X-ray evidence, the chiropractors at Legacy Family Chiropractic in Grand Rapids, MI, aim to restore proper alignment, mobility, and function to the spine. Adjustments help ease muscle tension, reduce inflammation, improve blood flow, and increase nerve function in the affected area. These effects contribute to pain reduction, increased range of motion, improved neck function, and often a resolution of other symptoms.
Chiropractic care is regarded as a better option due to its non-invasive and drug-free approach to addressing multiple health conditions. Neck pain is one of the most common symptoms Legacy Family Chiropractic can help you fix. As chiropractors, we focus on identifying and correcting the root causes of poor health and pain rather than merely managing symptoms. Nobody wants a temporary band-aid! Additionally, we strongly emphasize health education, lifestyle modifications, and preventive measures to promote long-term well-being.
Custom Therapeutic Exercise Plan
The chiropractors at Legacy Family Chiropractic will prescribe a custom home rehab program to help further correct the cause of your issues between visits to the clinic. It’s crucial to retrain weak muscles and damaged postural reflexes. Otherwise, your neck pain is likely to return even though you may have seen a chiropractor or PT recently! We achieve this through neuromuscular re-education exercises and physical therapy based on your test results from the first visit. Until we know what is going on with your neck, please watch the following videos to learn more about what you can do to rehab your neck.
Cervical Spinal Decompression in Grand Rapids, MI
If you’ve got numbness and tingling or radiating pain into the arms and hands, sometimes caused by whiplash injury (ex: car accident) or more minor repetitive traumas over time, you may have a bulging or herniated disk in the neck. It’s essential to come into the clinic as soon as possible if you have these symptoms, as this can be extremely painful and crippling and can often lead to spinal surgery if not dealt with soon enough.
Spinal decompression is a non-surgical, non-invasive treatment to relieve neck pain and related symptoms. Using gentle stretching and traction of the cervical spine, we aim to create a negative pressure within the spinal discs and promote healing by re-absorbing bulging disc material and improving blood flow and nutrient delivery to the disc areas. Decompression helps to alleviate pressure on the nerve roots, reduce inflammation, and increase the space between the vertebrae, which can be beneficial for conditions such as herniated discs, bulging discs, or spinal stenosis in the neck (narrowing of the spinal cord canal and nerve root areas).
Common Causes of Neck Pain in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Bulged Cervical Discs
Your cervical discs are composed of a jelly-like material (nucleus pulposus) surrounded by tough fibers (annulus fibrosus) that hold the nucleus inside. They act as spacers between the spinal joints, allowing for a wide range of motion. A bulging disc happens when the protective annular fibers weaken or get damaged. This weakening can cause the nucleus “jelly” to begin bulging outward and compress parts of the nerves or spinal cord. Symptoms of a bulging disc can include local or radiating pain, numbness and tingling, muscle spasms and weakness, and a loss of normal range of motion.
Herniated Cervical Discs
A herniated or “slipped disc” differs from a bulging or protruding disc. It is usually much more severe because the outer fibers surrounding the nucleus (the “jelly” inside the disc) have ruptured or torn, allowing the nucleus to leak or protrude outside. Symptoms can often be more intense and debilitating. The best treatment for herniated discs (“slipped discs”) is non-surgical spinal decompression therapy and specific chiropractic adjustments based on your X-rays.
Studies show that if your first point of contact is a medical provider, you have a 64-90% increased risk of ending up on dangerous opioid drugs as a treatment compared with chiropractic. 12, 13
Other studies show that if your first point of contact is a medical provider, you have a 43% chance of ending up in spine surgery compared to only a 1.5% chance of surgery if you visit a chiropractor first. 14
Click here to make an appointment to see if we can help you. We look forward to seeing you!
Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative disc disease is a breakdown of the discs in the spine and can happen in the neck joints. Common causes are subluxation (bad posture/misalignments) and stuck joints that are left untreated over time, obesity (extra wear and tear), smoking (depletion of Vitamin C accelerates the decaying process just like in your gums and teeth), and physically demanding occupations. As the discs shrink, the space for the nerves decreases, which can result in pinched nerves and subsequent pain. This is a primary contributor to spinal stenosis.
We cannot reverse degenerative disc disease, but we can slow its progression and dramatically improve symptoms. Many people who’ve applied all necessary protocols now live pain-free, naturally. Consider seeking chiropractic care, spinal rehabilitation, and adopting a low-inflammatory lifestyle for significant improvements.
Muscle Strains and Ligament Sprains
These are some of the most common injuries we see. Luckily they heal relatively quickly in cases of minor strains/sprains. Strains refer to the tears that happen to a muscle fiber, while a sprain refers to the damage caused to ligaments that attach bones. Whiplash injuries, sports injuries, improper lifting, or even improper postures sustained for long periods can cause strains and sprains. Minor sprains/strains can heal within a few days to weeks, while severe ones can take months. Your healing times improve by properly aligning your damaged tissues and reducing chronic inflammation through natural measures. A neck and spine that is subluxated (stuck and misaligned) will constantly be at risk of repetitive sprain/strain injuries due to the negative impact on the nerve supply to the tissues, abnormal biomechanics, and inflammation it causes.
Tech Neck
Tech neck, also known as “Text Neck”, refers to the abnormal cervical spine shape often discovered on X-rays. Normally, we have a “banana” or “C-shaped” curve to protect the brain stem, spinal cord, discs, and nerve roots. Since the introduction of cell phones and tablets into kids’ hands, Chiropractors and medical providers have seen an explosion of abnormal postures in younger and younger kids. This abnormal shape of the spine that develops causes enormous stress on the tissues of the spine and leads to numerous conditions that negatively impact health, ultimately due to poor nervous system function and reduction in blood supply in and out of the brain. 15, 5, 6, 7
Other common causes of neck pain that chiropractic can help with can include:
Facet Joint Dysfunction (Stuck, inflamed posterior spinal joints)
Subluxation (Misalignments causing inflammation and nerve interference), Osteoarthritis (Bony decay), Whiplash.
Check Out Our Location Near You
4064 Alpine Ave NW STE B, Comstock Park, MI 49321
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a chiropractor in Grand Rapids, MI good for neck pain?
Absolutely! Chiropractic should be your first call when it comes to neck pain. The chiropractors at Legacy Family Chiropractic have helped thousands of people with all types of neck pain and would be happy to help you with your neck pain.
When should you see a chiropractor for neck pain?
The best time to see a chiropractor when you have neck pain is as quickly as possible. By the time you are experiencing neck pain, the problem has usually already existed for some time. So, it is essential to address the problem before it becomes a more severe issue later on.
Is it okay to “pop” my own neck?
Not really. If you feel the need to constantly “pop” your neck, it is a sign of a very stuck, misaligned spine, and you should get that addressed as soon as possible by a chiropractor trained in spine rehab who also takes X-rays. The reason that feeling continues to come back is that you’re relieving pressure in mobile joints above and below the actual area that is dysfunctional and stuck. The more you wait to fix the cause, the more damage you can do to your own health. If you read this whole page, you’ll understand how and why!
Are chiropractors covered by insurance for neck pain?
Generally, yes, but we’ve seen a yearly trend where insurance companies deny more claims and offer less coverage for Chiropractic care and our various rehab protocols. To offset this, Legacy Family Chiropractic offers significant cash discounts that exceed what your insurance would have covered, leaving you with an out-of-pocket cost lower than using your insurance in the long run and, far more importantly, placing you on a plan suited for correcting and fixing the actual cause, not just providing you with the temporary relief that insurance is designed for. We do currently accept Medicare if you are over the age of 65. For most other insurances, we recommend using our cash discounts, which still allow you to self-submit to your insurance if you choose.
How should I sleep with neck pain?
You should always try to put yourself in any position that relieves the pain to prioritize a good night’s sleep. Nothing is more restorative and healing than sleep. The optimal position to relieve neck pain is usually laying on your back with your neck arched over a small rolled-up towel, creating the typical “C” shape that should be there. If you’re a side sleeper, maintain proper alignment by placing a pillow between the knees and using a contoured cervical pillow under your head and neck for proper support, then raise your chin slightly to alleviate the tense muscles in the back of the neck.
Do chiropractic adjustments hurt?
No, they should not hurt! There may be pain and sensitivity due to the injury or condition you’re dealing with, but our techniques offer a combination of both instrument and light manual adjusting in positions that provide relief almost instantly in most cases. What you see on TikTok or YouTube does not accurately represent what you will experience! We pride ourselves on our results and the gentle nature of all treatments.
- “Evidence-based guidelines for the chiropractic treatment of adults with neck pain.” PubMed, 19 November 2013, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24262386/.
- LeBlanc, Francis. “Manipulation and mobilisation for neck pain contrasted against an inactive control or another active treatment.” PubMed, 23 September 2015, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26397370/.
- Grimm, Richard H. “Spinal manipulation, medication, or home exercise with advice for acute and subacute neck pain: a randomized trial.” PubMed, 3 January 2012, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22213489/.
- “Spinal Manipulative Therapy for Acute Neck Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials.” PubMed, 28 October 2021, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34768531/.
- Harrison, SO. “A review of biomechanics of the central nervous system–Part I: spinal canal deformations resulting from changes in posture.” PubMed, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10367759/.
- Harrison, SO. “A review of biomechanics of the central nervous system–part II: spinal cord strains from postural loads.” PubMed, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10395435/.
- Harrison, SO. “A review of biomechanics of the central nervous system–Part III: spinal cord stresses from postural loads and their neurologic effects.” PubMed, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10478773/.
- Videman, T. “Experimental models of osteoarthritis: the role of immobilization.” PubMed, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23915759/.
- Kazis LE, Ameli O, Rothendler J, et alObservational retrospective study of the association of initial healthcare provider for new-onset low back pain with early and long-term opioid useBMJ Open 2019;9:e028633. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-028633
- Kelsey L Corcoran, DC and others, Association Between Chiropractic Use and Opioid Receipt Among Patients with Spinal Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis, Pain Medicine, Volume 21, Issue 2, February 2020, Pages e139–e145, https://doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnz219
- G, Alex. “✍️.” YouTube, 30 August 2022, https://journals.lww.com/spinejournal/Abstract/2013/05150/Early_Predictors_of_Lumbar_Spine_Surgery_After.18.aspx. Accessed 25 July 2023.
- Kazis LE, Ameli O, Rothendler J, et alObservational retrospective study of the association of initial healthcare provider for new-onset low back pain with early and long-term opioid useBMJ Open 2019;9:e028633. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-028633
- Kelsey L Corcoran, DC and others, Association Between Chiropractic Use and Opioid Receipt Among Patients with Spinal Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis, Pain Medicine, Volume 21, Issue 2, February 2020, Pages e139–e145, https://doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnz219
- G, Alex. “✍️.” YouTube, 30 August 2022, https://journals.lww.com/spinejournal/Abstract/2013/05150/Early_Predictors_of_Lumbar_Spine_Surgery_After.18.aspx. Accessed 25 July 2023.
- “Increase in cerebral blood flow indicated by increased cerebral arterial area and pixel intensity on brain magnetic resonance angiogram following correction of cervical lordosis.” NCBI, 27 March 2019, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6458772/. Accessed 25 July 2023.
