Does this describe your pain?
- Headaches (tension headache, cluster headache, stress headache, migraines)
- Neck and jaw pain when you try to read, work, or sit too long in one place
- Pain and stiffness, knots or “cricks” in neck and shoulder muscles
- Burning sensation, numbness or tingling in arms, hands or fingers
- Clicking or grinding noise when you move
- Dizziness when you stand up
- Sleep disturbances
Is your pain…
- Localized to one part of the head or neck, such as your jaw or temple
- Ongoing, only when you move, or seemingly at random
- Acute and debilitating, “gets in the way”, or “I can live with it, but…”
- Associated with a particular activity or location, such as working in the office, smoking, mowing the grass, drinking coffee, or lifting weights
What causes most head and neck pain?
Various underlying factors can sensitize you to pain, precede pain, or trigger pain:
- Anxiety and stress
- Environmental or dietary triggers like perfumes, caffeine, and smoking
- Traumatic injury, like a car accident
- Biomechanical stress from postural or skeletal misalignments or poor ergonomics in your working environment
- Overuse, misuse or aging-related musculoskeletal changes
- Chronic health conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis and circulatory problems
Which head and neck pain diagnoses are most common?
- Migraines, tension headaches and cluster headaches
- TMJ (temporomandibular) jaw pain
- Concussion and whiplash
- Repetitive stress injuries like “computer neck” and “text neck”
- Arthritic discs, degenerative discs, herniated discs, and bulging discs
- Pinched nerves
- Scoliosis
- Military neck
- Strained or sprained muscles and joints
How can I treat my pain myself?
Quickly addressing pain and promptly removing pain triggers can help. Relaxation, meditation, yoga, and stress management, light exercise, reducing caffeine intake and smoking, using foam rollers, or changing pillows may help. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID’s) like Advil or its generic version, ibuprofen, can offer some relief. However, daily or frequent use signals a need for a medical pain assessment and diagnosis, especially since ongoing use of these drugs increases your risk of heart disease.
You should also take a look at whether your office work area has poor ergonomics.
If pain isn’t severe and you don’t have any red flags, it usually makes sense to try self-care strategies for a week or so. Then, if you still don’t feel better, call us to see a pain specialist so you can get a diagnosis of what’s actually wrong, and a treatment plan to get you back on the path to feeling good.
How can Randolph Pain Relief & Wellness treat my pain?
Do you already know your diagnosis and the kind of treatment you need?
Just schedule a prompt appointment with the appropriate specialty. Our team includes experienced, licensed specialists in chiropractic care, physical therapy, acupuncture, and massage.
Not sure what’s wrong, how to treat it, or prior therapies haven’t helped?
We offer two options:
- Schedule an initial diagnostic assessment, or
- Call our Pain Navigator service, at no charge
