neck pain Naperville, IL

Neck pain, once experienced, can swiftly reveal its significant impact on your quality of life.

Given the wide range of motion your neck provides for daily activities, it’s no surprise that it bears the weight of your 11-pound head while accommodating movement in all directions. This critical role makes your neck particularly susceptible to pain and injury.

If you’ve ever endured the discomfort of an achy, tight, or painful neck, you may initially dismiss the pain. However, ignoring the pain and neglecting its source can lead to its escalation, severely affecting your career, relationships, and overall well-being.
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At DuPage Integrative Medicine, we understand that many individuals in our community grapple with disabling and debilitating neck pain. According to the World Health Organization, over 222 million people worldwide suffer from neck pain.

You may have attempted various remedies, from ice and heat to stretching, massage, medication, surgery, or steroid injections, only to find that the pain persists. In our medical clinic, we are dedicated to helping individuals in Naperville, IL , and surrounding areas identify the cause of their neck pain, alleviate it, and enhance their function.

DuPage Integrative Medicine in Naperville, IL , proudly offers one of the most effective treatment protocols available for chronic neck pain and discomfort.

Common Causes of Neck Pain

Neck pain can originate from various sources, and obtaining an accurate diagnosis is essential for effective treatment. The cervical spine, or neck, is particularly vulnerable to pain and reduced range of motion due to injury or other factors. Some causes of neck pain that our highly trained team is equipped to address include:

  1. Accidents: Neck injuries can result from contact sports, severe falls, or motor vehicle accidents. Whiplash, characterized by sudden forced movement followed by a rebound movement in the opposite direction, can cause significant pain and soreness. It is the most common type of neck injury, often occurring in car collisions, even at low speeds. Whiplash symptoms may not appear immediately after the accident, sometimes surfacing days, weeks, or even months later. Accidents and other traumatic incidents can impact the muscles, discs, ligaments, nerves, and spinal cord of the neck.
  2. Herniated Discs: This condition occurs when the inner part of a disc pushes through the outer supportive layer, worsening a bulging disc. It can lead to nerve compression or spinal cord pressure, resulting in symptoms such as local pain, radiating pain, weakness, or numbness in the neck, arms, or hands. In some cases, the herniation may resolve or be reabsorbed.
  3. Degenerative Disorders and Aging: As we age, ligaments, tissues, and spinal structures can deteriorate. This deterioration can manifest as various conditions, including osteoarthritis (cartilage wear and tear), degenerative disc disease (spinal disc breakdown), and spinal stenosis (narrowing of spinal spaces). These disorders can cause bone spurs, bulging or herniated discs, exerting pressure on neck nerves and leading to pain.
  4. Poor Posture: Misalignment of the head with the rest of the body can result in poor posture, as the neck compensates by pushing forward. Prolonged forward neck posture can lead to spinal misalignments, pinched nerves, muscle stiffness, and various chronic degenerative disorders. Proper posture is vital, especially during extended computer or mobile device use or while driving. Often, poor posture becomes evident only when pain and stiffness set in, emphasizing the importance of seeking medical care to retrain muscles, ligaments, and the spine to align correctly.
  5. Cervical Arthritis: When joints cease movement due to scar tissue from previous injuries or incorrect body mechanics, they can deteriorate, leading to arthritis or degeneration. This results in joint space reduction, cartilage cushioning loss, and spondylosis and osteophyte (bone spur) formation. Joint breakdown can cause pain and may eventually compress spinal nerves, resulting in issues like pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness.
  6. Torticollis: Also known as cervical dystonia or wryneck, torticollis is a painful condition characterized by involuntary muscle spasms that hold the head out of alignment with the body. The pain can make it challenging to turn your head and often results from spinal misalignment or a herniated disc.

Common Symptoms of Neck Pain

Neck pain itself represents a common symptom of various injuries and conditions. Symptoms can vary in type and severity, with radicular neck pain being the most severe, requiring immediate attention. Radicular pain refers to shooting pain or muscle weakness radiating into your shoulders, arms, hands, or head.

Other neck pain symptoms may manifest in the neck and/or shoulder muscles, including:

  • Dull ache
  • Sharp pain
  • Tingling
  • Numbness
  • Burning
  • Muscle spasms
  • Reduced range of motion
  • Muscle weakness

How Is Neck Pain Treated?

At DuPage Integrative Medicine, we’re committed to helping you overcome neck pain. When simple measures like postural adjustments or ice and heat application fail to provide relief, our providers conduct a thorough examination to identify the root cause of your pain and determine the most effective, drug-free, and non-surgical treatment.

Our objective is to assist our community in achieving lasting, natural pain relief. Our doctors perform a comprehensive examination and diagnosis to create a personalized treatment plan tailored to address the underlying cause of your neck pain. Our care protocols are uniquely designed based on the cause of your pain, working with you to restore proper neck function and range of motion while reducing pain.

Treatment methods may include:

  • Cervical traction
  • Trigger point injections
  • Targeted strengthening and stretching exercises
  • Postural alignment using Chiropractic BioPhysics
  • Chiropractic adjustments
  • Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) treatments
  • Regenerative therapies