What neck pain is
Your neck holds up a head that weighs roughly as much as a bowling ball, and it moves thousands of times a day. Seven small vertebrae, the discs between them and many layers of muscle share that work. When one part gets stiff or irritated, the rest often tighten to compensate.
Most neck pain is mechanical and comes from joints and muscles rather than disease. It may feel like stiffness when you check your blind spot, a sore spot between the shoulder blades or an ache that creeps up into the back of the head. It often gets worse after long periods in one position.
Sometimes an irritated nerve in the neck sends pain, tingling or numbness into the shoulder, arm or hand. That pattern needs a careful neurological check, and some cases call for a physician's input or imaging before hands-on care.
Neck pain that has lasted a few days often settles on its own. When it keeps returning, lasts for weeks or limits what you can do, it is worth understanding what is driving it and what you can change.
What can cause neck pain
Neck pain usually builds from everyday loads, though injuries and age-related changes play a part too.
- Screen and desk posture
- Leaning toward a laptop or looking down at a phone increases the load on the back of the neck. The result is often a dull ache by late afternoon and tight muscles at the base of the skull.
- Sleeping position and pillows
- A pillow that is too high or too flat, or sleeping on your stomach with your head turned, can leave you waking with a stiff neck. This type of pain is often worst in the morning.
- Muscle strain
- A sudden turn, carrying a heavy bag on one shoulder or an unfamiliar workout can strain the neck muscles. Strains usually feel sore and tight and hurt more with certain movements.
- Whiplash and other injuries
- A rear-end collision or fall can stretch the soft tissues of the neck quickly. Pain and stiffness may appear hours or days later rather than right away.
- Disc and joint changes
- Age-related wear in the discs and small joints of the neck is common. It can bring stiffness, reduced rotation and sometimes arm symptoms if a nerve is irritated.
- Jaw tension
- The jaw and upper neck share nerves and muscles. Clenching or TMJ problems often travel together with neck tightness and headaches.
How Dr. Okhowat evaluates and treats neck pain
Your visit starts with questions and a careful exam, because neck care should always begin with screening.
History and safety screening
Dr. Okhowat asks how your pain started, what makes it better or worse and whether you have any arm symptoms, dizziness or headaches. He screens for warning signs that need a physician before any treatment of the neck.
Movement and nerve exam
He checks how your neck turns, tilts and bends, where joints feel restricted and which muscles are tender. Strength, sensation and reflexes in the arms help show whether a nerve is involved.
Gentle hands-on treatment
Depending on your findings, care may include spinal adjustments, low-force mobilization and soft tissue work for the neck and upper back. Treatment is adapted to your comfort, and you can ask for gentler options at any time.
Desk, phone and pillow changes
You will get specific suggestions for screen height, chair setup, phone habits and pillow choice. These small changes may reduce the strain your neck faces every day between visits.
Building support
Simple exercises for the deep neck flexors and the muscles between your shoulder blades may help your neck hold up better. Progress is reviewed regularly so the plan can be adjusted.
What care may help with
Results vary by person and by cause. For mechanical neck pain, many people report changes like these.
- More comfortable rotation when driving, reversing or checking a blind spot.
- Less tightness across the shoulders and at the base of the skull.
- Fewer neck-related headaches for some people.
- Better tolerance for long days at a desk or on the phone.
- Tools you can use at home to manage flares on your own.
Is this right for me?
Chiropractic care is often a reasonable choice for neck pain that is stiff, achy and tied to posture, sleep or strain. It can also be part of recovery after a minor injury once serious problems have been ruled out.
Certain symptoms need a physician first. If any of these apply, please seek medical care before chiropractic treatment of the neck.
Often a good fit
- Neck stiffness that is worse after desk work, driving or sleep
- Tight shoulders and upper back that come along with neck pain
- Neck pain that keeps coming back after a few calm weeks
- Headaches that seem to start in the neck
See a physician first
- Neck pain after a car accident, fall or blow to the head until you have been medically checked
- Sudden severe neck pain with a headache unlike any you have had
- Dizziness, double vision, trouble speaking or swallowing, or facial numbness
- Weakness in an arm or hand, or clumsiness and trouble walking
- Fever, stiff neck and sensitivity to light
- A history of cancer, unexplained weight loss or night pain that does not ease
If you have any of these, please see a physician or go to urgent care before booking. In an emergency, call 911.
How Dr. Okhowat approaches neck pain
Dr. Omid Okhowat holds a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Cleveland Chiropractic College and has over 19 years of experience. The neck is a small, busy and sensitive part of the spine, so his care for it is careful and measured, with screening before any hands-on treatment.
He is a Diplomate of the College of Manipulative and Body Based Practices and a Fellow of the American Association of Integrative Medicine. In practice that means precise hands-on work combined with attention to sleep, stress and the way you use your neck through the day.
Okhowat Chiropractic is on Wilshire Boulevard just west of Fairfax Avenue, a short drive from Beverly Grove and the Fairfax District. If anything in your exam points beyond chiropractic care, you will be referred to the right medical provider.
- DC, Cleveland Chiropractic College
- AAIM Fellow
- AAIM Diplomate, Manipulative and Body Based Practices
- Over 19 years of experience
This place is the best! Dr.Okhowat and his staff are so attentive to your indivisible needs. They have helped my TMJ and neck/shoulder issues so much!
Questions patients ask
Can a chiropractor help with neck pain?
Many people with mechanical neck pain find that chiropractic care, combined with exercise and posture changes, helps them move more comfortably. Your exam determines whether it is a good fit. If it is not, you will be told and pointed in the right direction.
Is it safe to have my neck adjusted?
Serious problems after neck manipulation are rare, but they can happen, which is why screening comes first. Low-force techniques that do not involve a quick thrust are also available. You are always free to choose the approach you are comfortable with.
Why does my neck hurt when I wake up?
Morning neck pain is often linked to pillow height or sleeping on your stomach with your head turned. A pillow that keeps your head level with your spine can help. If morning pain is severe or comes with arm symptoms, mention it at your visit.
What does tingling in my arm mean?
Tingling, numbness or weakness in the arm can mean a nerve in the neck is irritated. It needs a careful neurological exam, and sometimes a physician's evaluation or imaging. Weakness that is getting worse should be seen promptly.
How long does neck pain take to improve?
Many simple neck strains settle within a few weeks. Pain that has lasted longer or keeps recurring often takes more time and consistent home exercise. Your plan will include regular check-ins so progress can be measured.
What is the right screen height for my neck?
Aim for your eyes to land near the upper part of the screen without tipping your chin down, with the monitor close enough to read without leaning forward. On a laptop, a riser plus an external keyboard makes that possible. With a phone, bring it up toward your face instead of dropping your head to meet it.
Can neck pain cause headaches?
Yes. Stiff joints and tight muscles in the upper neck can refer pain into the head, often starting at the base of the skull. These cervicogenic headaches are one of the patterns chiropractic care is often used for.