Some back and neck pain isn’t bad enough to stop you. It’s just always there. You feel it when you turn to back out of the driveway, or when you’ve been on the laptop for an hour, or when you lie down at night and can’t get comfortable. Some weeks are better than others. People with this kind of pain often say they’ve gotten used to it, which usually means they’ve been putting up with it way too long.
Nagging pain is still worth treating. It tends to get worse slowly, and it’s usually easier to fix before it does.
Why It Hangs Around
Long-lasting neck and back pain rarely comes from one big injury. More often it’s a slow buildup, and most people have more than one of these going on:
- Hours at a desk with your head leaning toward the screen
- Stiff joints in the spine from arthritis or plain wear
- A disc that’s bulging a little and irritating the area
- Weak core and upper back muscles that make other muscles overwork
- An old car accident or fall that never fully settled down
- Stress, which makes many people tense up their neck and shoulders without noticing
The Options We Use
What happens first is a good look at how you move. Then we pick from a few tools, and most plans use more than one.
Hands-on work usually comes early. Loosening a stiff joint or a knotted muscle makes it a lot easier to move, and moving is where the real progress happens. The exercises we give you are pretty plain. They target the small, deep muscles that keep your neck and spine steady, plus the upper back and hips. You won’t need a gym.
We’ll also poke around your daily routine. How high is your monitor? Do you read in bed with your chin on your chest? What do you do when you carry in the groceries? Small changes there add up.
For muscles that stay tight no matter what, dry needling is an option. If therapy isn’t enough to get the pain down, an injection can quiet things so the exercises have a chance to work. We order X-rays or an MRI only when the exam points to a nerve problem or something we need to see.
When to Get Checked Sooner
Pain or numbness that runs down your arm or leg, weakness in your hands or feet, or pain that wakes you up at night should be looked at soon. Trouble with bladder or bowel control needs emergency care.
What You Can Expect
Most people notice some relief within a few weeks. The bigger changes come from sticking with the exercises at home, even after the pain starts to ease.
Let’s Get to the Bottom of That Pain
If your neck or back has been bugging you for months, come see our team at Modern Medicine of Tucson, AZ. We’ll figure out what’s keeping it going and help you feel better.
