Neck Pain Treatment in Jacksonville, FL
Neck pain limits how you sleep, how you drive, and how you function at work. Dr. Muren and Dr. Eric Hall treat the cervical spine daily at Full Swing Healthcare. Here is what we do.
Why Neck Pain Is So Common
The cervical spine carries the weight of your head, roughly 10 to 12 pounds, through a huge range of motion every single day. It is also the most mobile section of the spine, which makes it more vulnerable to injury and postural breakdown than the thoracic or lumbar regions.
The rise of desk work, screen time, and phone use has created an epidemic of what gets called forward head posture. For every inch your head shifts forward of your shoulders, the effective load on your cervical spine increases by about 10 pounds. That is the mechanical reality behind why so many people in Jacksonville are walking around with neck pain and upper trap tightness they cannot shake.
Common causes we see at the clinic: cervical facet joint restriction, disc herniations at C5-C6 or C6-C7 (the most common levels), whiplash from car accidents on I-295 or Beach Blvd, chronic muscle tension from prolonged sitting, and cervicogenic headaches driven by upper cervical dysfunction. Auto accidents are a particularly significant driver of cervical injury in this city because of how busy the highways are.
How We Treat Neck Pain
We start with the assessment. Neck pain has a dozen possible sources and the treatment needs to match the diagnosis. Dr. Muren runs orthopedic and neurological testing to identify which cervical segments are involved, whether there is a disc component, and whether the pain is purely mechanical or has a soft tissue and postural driver.
Cervical Adjustments
Chiropractic adjustments to the cervical and upper thoracic spine restore motion to restricted segments and reduce the nerve irritation that comes from compressed or misaligned joints. Dr. Muren uses both manual adjustments and the Activator instrument method for patients who prefer a lower-force approach to the cervical spine. Both work. The choice is based on your presentation and your preference.
Upper Trap and Suboccipital Work
The upper trapezius, levator scapulae, and suboccipital muscles hold an enormous amount of tension in people with chronic neck pain. Those muscles pull the cervical spine back into dysfunction even after a good adjustment. We address them with therapeutic massage, IASTM scraping along the cervical paraspinals, and trigger point release. Treating the joint without treating the surrounding musculature produces short-term results at best.
Postural Correction
For patients whose neck pain is driven by forward head posture or workplace ergonomics, we build in specific exercises and posture correction work. Getting the cervical spine healthy is only half the battle. Keeping it healthy requires changing the movement patterns and positions that broke it down in the first place.
When to Come In
If you have had neck pain for more than two weeks, it is not going to resolve itself. That is not how spinal restriction works. The longer a joint stays restricted, the more the surrounding soft tissue adapts to the dysfunction and the harder it becomes to correct. Come in sooner rather than later.
If your neck pain is accompanied by radiating pain, numbness, or tingling into the shoulder, arm, or hand, that suggests nerve involvement and it needs to be assessed. Do not wait on that. Read more about how chiropractic helps neck pain here.
Call us at (904) 539-3352 or book online. We're at 13770 Beach Blvd, Suite 4, Jacksonville, FL 32224.
Ready to Start Feeling Better?
Same-day appointments available most days. Call or book online.