In Motion Chiropractic

43 Main Street #1

Dover, NH 03820 US

603-516-0990

Open mobile navigation
  • Home
  • Request Appointment
  • New Patient Center
    • Online Forms
    • What to Expect
      • Your First Visit
      • Phase 1: Relief Care
      • Phase 2: Corrective Care
      • Phase 3: Wellness Care
    • Virtual Office Tour
    • Health Resources
    • Payment Options
  • Laser Therapy
    • How does laser therapy work?
    • What does laser therapy treat?
    • Are there any contraindications?
    • What to expect
    • Should I take any precautions after treatment?
    • How many sessions are necessary?
    • How much does it cost?
  • About Us
    • Meet the Doctors
    • Services & Techniques
    • Our Wellness Partners
    • Our Building
  • Success Stories
  • Office Hours
  • Contact Us
  • Email the Dr.
  • Business Partnerships
  • Community Content
    • About Chiropractic Care
      • What is Chiropractic
      • How Does it Work
      • Who is Chiropractic For
      • Vertebral Subluxation
      • Wellness Resources
    • Common Conditions Treated
      • Auto Accident Injuries
      • Back and Shoulder Pain
      • Body Pain
      • Chronic Condition Relief
        • Conditions Affecting Women
        • Headaches
      • Herniated Discs
      • Improved Health
      • Pediatric Ailments
      • Repetitive Use Injuries
      • Respiratory Function
    • Health & Wellness
      • Healthy Thinking
        • Get Positive
        • Relaxation Techniques
      • Life in Motion
      • Wellness Lifestyle Tips
        • Treat Yourself Well
        • Treat Others Well
        • Eat Well
      • Wellness Essentials
        • At Home
        • At Work
        • Exercise
        • Nutrition
        • What You Wear
      • Wellness Perspectives
        • Physical
        • Social
        • Spiritual
        • Mental
    • Therapies & Techniques
      • Techniques
      • Therapies
    • Newsletter Library
      • Weight Loss
      • Staying Motivated
      • Staying Young
      • Life-Work Balance
      • Stress & Anxiety
      • Mind-Body Connection
      • Wellness
      • Pregnancy & Parenting
      • Back, Body & Joint Pain
      • Senior Health
      • Breaking Bad Habits
      • Healthy Tips
      • Exercise & Fitness
      • Injury Rehab & Prevention
      • Kid's Health
      • Illness Prevention
      • Chronic Conditions
      • Nutrition & Healthy Eating
    • Wellness4Kids
  • Home >
  • Articles >
  • Common Conditions Treated >
  • Back and Shoulder Pain >
  • Back Pain-Upper/Neck

Back Pain-Upper/Neck

  • Created in Common Conditions Treated, Back and Shoulder Pain
image of woman in pain holding her neck

Most neck and upper back pain is caused by a combination of factors, including injury, poor posture, chiropractic subluxations, stress, and in some instances, disc problems.

Most people do not realize how much they move their neck during the day until they are unable to do so. The degree of flexibility of the neck, coupled with the fact that it has the least amount of muscular stabilization and it has to support and move your 14 - 16 pound head, means that the neck is very susceptible to injury. You can picture your neck and head much like a bowling ball being held on top of a stick by small, thin, elastic bands. It doesn't take much force to disrupt that delicate balance.

The spinal cord runs through a space in the vertebrae to send nerve impulses to every part of the body. Between each pair of cervical vertebrae, the spinal cord sends off large bundles of nerves that run down the arms and to some degree, the upper back. This means that if your arm is hurting, it may actually be a problem in the neck! Symptoms in the arms can include numbness, tingling, cold, aching, and "pins and needles".

These symptoms can be confused with carpal tunnel syndrome, a painful condition in the hands that is often found in people who work at computer keyboards or perform other repetitive motion tasks for extended periods. Problems in the neck can also contribute to headaches, muscle spasms in the shoulders and upper back, ringing in the ears, otitis media (inflammation in the middle ear, often mistaken for an ear infection in children), temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), restricted range of motion and chronic tightness in the neck and upper back.

We associate the neck and upper back together, because most of the muscles that are associated with the neck either attach to, or are located in, the upper back. These muscles include the trapezius, the levator scapulae, the cervical paraspinal muscles and the scalenes, as well as others.

The Causes of Neck and Upper Back Pain

Most neck and upper back pain is caused by a combination of factors, including injury, poor posture, chiropractic subluxations, stress, and in some instances, disc problems.

Injuries

By far, the most common injury to the neck is a whiplash injury. Whiplash is caused by a sudden movement of the head, either backward, forward, or sideways, that results in the damage to the supporting muscles, ligaments and other connective tissues in the neck and upper back. Whether from a car accident, sports, or an accident at work, whiplash injuries need to be taken very seriously. Because symptoms of a whiplash injury can take weeks or months to manifest, it is easy to be fooled into thinking that you are not as injured as you really are. Too often people don't seek treatment following a car accident or sports injury because they don't feel hurt. Unfortunately, by the time more serious complications develop, some of the damage from the injury may have become permanent. Numerous studies have shown that years after whiplash victims settle their insurance claims, roughly half of them state that they still suffer with symptoms from their injuries. If you have been in a motor vehicle or any other kind of accident, don't assume that you escaped injury if you are not currently in pain. Get checked out by a good chiropractor.

Forward head posture is very common for people who are stooped over their computers all day long. If not taken care of with chiropractic care, subluxations like this can worsen over time.

Poor Posture

One of the most common causes of neck pain, and sometimes headaches, is poor posture. It's easy to get into bad posture habits without even realizing it - even an activity as "innocent" as reading in bed can ultimately lead to pain, headaches, and more serious problems. The basic rule is simple: keep your neck in a "neutral" position whenever possible. Don't bend or hunch your neck forward for long periods. Also, try not to sit in one position for a long time. If you must sit for an extended period, make sure your posture is good: Keep your head in a neutral position, make sure your back is supported, keep your knees slightly lower than your hips, and rest your arms if possible.

Subluxations

Subluxations in the neck and upper back area are extremely common due to the high degree of stress associated with holding up your head, coupled with the high degree of instability in the cervical spine. Most subluxations tend to be centered around four areas: the top of the cervical spine where it meets the skull; in the middle of the cervical spine where the mechanical stress from the head is the greatest; in the transition where the cervical and thoracic areas of the spine meet; and in the middle of the thoracic spine where the mechanical stress from the weight of the upper body is greatest. Signs of subluxation include looking in the mirror and seeing your head tilted or one shoulder higher than the other. Often women will notice that their sleeve length is different or that a necklace is hanging off center. If someone looks at you from the side they may notice that your head sits forward from your shoulders. This is known as FHP - forward head posture - and is very common for people who are stooped over their computers all day long. Subluxations are a debt to the body. If they are not taken care of soon after they occur, then they can get much worse over time due to the accumulation of compounding interest.

Stress

When most people become stressed, they unconsciously contract their muscles. In particular, the muscles in their back. This 'muscle guarding' is a survival response designed to guard against injury. In today's world where we are not exposed to physical danger most of the time, muscle guarding still occurs whenever we become emotionally stressed. The areas most affected are the muscles of the neck, upper back and low back. For most of us, the particular muscle affected by stress is the trapezius muscle, where daily stress usually leads to chronic tightness and the development of trigger points.

The two most effective ways you can reduce the physical effects of stress on your own are to increase your activity level - exercise - and by deep breathing exercises. When you decrease the physical effects of stress, you can substantially reduce the amount of tightness and pain in your upper back and neck.

Disc Herniations

The discs in your cervical spine can herniate or bulge and put pressure on the nerves that exit from the spine through that area. Although cervical discs do not herniate nearly as often as lumbar discs do, they occasionally can herniate, especially when the discs sustain damage from a whiplash injury. Contact us today!

  • About Chiropractic Care
    • What is Chiropractic
    • How Does it Work
    • Who is Chiropractic For
    • Vertebral Subluxation
    • Wellness Resources
  • Common Conditions Treated
    • Auto Accident Injuries
    • Back and Shoulder Pain
    • Body Pain
    • Chronic Condition Relief
      • Conditions Affecting Women
      • Headaches
    • Herniated Discs
    • Improved Health
    • Pediatric Ailments
    • Repetitive Use Injuries
    • Respiratory Function
  • Health & Wellness
    • Healthy Thinking
      • Get Positive
      • Relaxation Techniques
    • Life in Motion
    • Wellness Lifestyle Tips
      • Treat Yourself Well
      • Treat Others Well
      • Eat Well
    • Wellness Essentials
      • At Home
      • At Work
      • Exercise
      • Nutrition
      • What You Wear
    • Wellness Perspectives
      • Physical
      • Social
      • Spiritual
      • Mental
  • Therapies & Techniques
    • Techniques
    • Therapies
  • Newsletter Library
    • Weight Loss
    • Staying Motivated
    • Staying Young
    • Life-Work Balance
    • Stress & Anxiety
    • Mind-Body Connection
    • Wellness
    • Pregnancy & Parenting
    • Back, Body & Joint Pain
    • Senior Health
    • Breaking Bad Habits
    • Healthy Tips
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Injury Rehab & Prevention
    • Kid's Health
    • Illness Prevention
    • Chronic Conditions
    • Nutrition & Healthy Eating
  • Wellness4Kids
No embed code settings found. Please configure it

Office Hours

Our Regular Schedule

Office Hours

Monday:

8:00 am - 12:00 pm

3:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Tuesday:

8:00 am - 12:00 pm

3:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Wednesday:

8:00 am - 12:00 pm

3:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Thursday:

8:00 am - 12:00 pm

3:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Friday:

8:00 am - 12:00 pm

3:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Saturday:

9:00 am - 11:00 am

Open the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month

Sunday:

Closed

Office Hours - Portsmouth

Monday:

Closed

Tuesday:

8:00 am-12:00 pm

3:00 pm-6:00 pm

Wednesday:

8:00 am-12:00 pm

3:00 pm-6:00 pm

Thursday:

8:00 am-12:00 pm

3:00 pm-5:00 pm

Friday:

8:00 am-12:00 pm

3:00 pm-5:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

Laser Hours

Monday:

Monday 3-6 (Dover)

Tuesday:

Tuesday 8-12 (Portsmouth), 3-6 (Dover)

Wednesday:

Wednesday 8-12 (Dover)

Thursday:

Closed

Friday:

Friday 3-5 (Dover)

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

Locations

Find us on the map

Testimonials

Reviews By Our Satisfied Patients

  • "Although I still have the occasional headache, the daily and sometimes debilitating ones have subsided. I highly recommend In Motion Chiropractic to anyone that is looking for that personal touch that has pain or is just looking to maintain their health."
    Stacey L.
  • "First time in about 16 years that my jaw joint has been in alignment. No more clicking. Even if it takes years to retrain my bite, this was an unexpected fabulous surprise that came from my treatment."
    Sarah
  • "This team is exceptional in every way! They’re so committed to their clients’ overall health and experience. I’ll never go any where else!"
    Christine
  • "After starting treatment here in October, my rheumatologist recently told me he’d see me in a YEAR - and NO MORE MEDS. I’ve been fighting Lupus/Psoriatic Arthritis for 13 years, so this is huge for me.

    Brian and Cassie are fantastic (props to Stacy too!) They have also treated my 2 year old and now my husband has an appointment. THANK YOU IN MOTION!!

    If you are prenatal start now...I wish I had known how safe and helpful it is through pregnancy and beyond."
    Andrea

Featured Articles

Read about interesting topics

  • Don't Let Back Pain Get You Down This Summer; Chiropractic Can Help

    Spending too much time on the couch due to back pain this summer? Chiropractic treatment could help you salvage your summer. ...

    Read More
  • Chiropractic Care for Osteoarthritis

    Tired of living with osteoarthritis pain? Your chiropractor may be able to help. ...

    Read More
  • Myofascial Release

    Not all pain is caused by obvious injuries like broken bones or cuts. Some pain may stem from the myofascial tissues. These tough membranes are wrapped around your muscles to provide support and connect them to other parts of the body. When myofascial tissue becomes stiff, it may restrict movement in ...

    Read More
  • Chiropractic and Headaches

    Have headaches become an unwelcome part of your life? Chiropractic care may help you finally get rid of your pain. ...

    Read More
  • How to Make Sure Your Chiropractic Adjustment Lasts

    A few surprisingly simple steps can help you maintain your chiropractic adjustment results longer. ...

    Read More
  • Chiropractic and Vertigo

    Medication isn't the only solution if you suffer from vertigo. Chiropractic treatment may finally stop the spinning. ...

    Read More
  • The 3 Most Common Chiropractic Questions Answered

    Looking for a natural way to treat pain? Chiropractic care offers an effective solution. ...

    Read More
  • How Chiropractic Care Can Help While Pregnant

    Tired of pregnancy aches and pains? Chiropractic care can ease your symptoms naturally. ...

    Read More
  • How to Enjoy Summertime Activities Without Back Pain

    Want to avoid an aching back this summer? Try a few of these suggestions. ...

    Read More
  • Winter Activities that Can Cause Pain and How to Prevent It

    Do you know how to avoid winter aches and pains? ...

    Read More

NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

Sign up for more articles

Follow Us

  • Copyright © 2022 MH Sub I, LLC dba iMatrix.
  • Admin Log In
  • Site Map