Neck pain affects about 30% of people each year, which means most likely you will experience neck pain at some point in your life. It is one of the leading causes of disability today. Neck pain is very common today, and one main reason is that most people do not take care of their spines. Imagine if you only brushed your teeth when they hurt, would your dental hygiene be better or worse than someone who brushes every day? Your spine houses and protects your nervous system, which runs every cell, tissue, organ, and function in every human’s body, and it’s the last thing we check if we ever check it. The system that runs every function of your body should not be the last thing we check; it should be the first. And if the body can’t heal itself due to some limitation of time or matter, thank god we have alternative medicine, surgeries, and therapies to help us, but checking the spine that houses and protects the nervous system that runs your entire life shouldn’t be the last thing we check; it should be the first. If you don’t brush your teeth, you will have worse dental hygiene. If you don’t take care of your spine, you will have worse spinal hygiene. This is not a belief; this is a fact. So, when we go months, years, decades, or even a lifetime without checking our spine for misalignment impacting our neurological and muscular systems, we shouldn’t be surprised when it ends in neck pain and disability.
Coupled with the fact that most people don’t take care of their spines, another reason neck pain is so prevalent today is technology and devices! The cervical spine normally has a forward, lordotic curvature, which is about 7x stronger and can absorb about 20-30x more compressive forces than a hypolordotic or kyphotic cervical spine that curves backward. With the significant increase in the use of smartphones, which is about 97% of adults, and the use of other laptops and computers, humans are looking down literally half of their day, and it is destroying the normal cervical curve for people. The average American spends over 5 hours per day on a device, and Gen Z spends over 6.5 hours/day. It shouldn’t be a surprise when people look down this many hours a day and wonder why they have neck pain. With this level of usage, it has a ton of detrimental health effects, but one of the greatest is the destruction of the cervical curvature. This not only causes neck pain and headaches but also significantly impacts many areas of health, depending on the nerves affected by the misalignment. This misalignment is called subluxation, and subluxation causes pressure on your nervous system, affecting whatever that nerve level controls, as seen in the spinal nerve chart (attached). Neck pain is one of many.
Another reason we have neck pain, which is directly related to proper spinal alignment, is osteoarthritis, or the “wear and tear” arthritis. If you drive on a crooked tire, it wears out faster. If you live with a crooked spine, it wears out faster. We don’t get osteoarthritis because we are old; we get osteoarthritis because we have old misalignment. So, not only is losing your cervical curvature causing you neck pain, it will begin the process of osteoarthritis or degenerative disc disease, which creates more neck pain and irreversible damage short of surgery.
If your spine is out of alignment or subluxated and you eat healthy, take a pill, do therapy, take supplements, or get an injection, will it change the structure of your spine? NO, the only thing that improves the structure of the spine is specific corrective chiropractic adjustments that address the root cause of the neck pain, rather than just masking the symptoms. If you don’t improve the structure, the problem won’t go away. Biomechanics matter, and misalignment can lead to structural compromise, often resulting in osteoarthritis or joint problems, muscular imbalances, and neurological imbalances, such as disc injuries, which can lead to a host of problems.
So, what causes subluxation? Subluxation can be caused by daily activities like sitting, standing, poor posture, poor sleeping habits, and more obvious things like our work injuries, sports injuries, slips and falls, auto accidents, and even the birth process. Only about 10% of our nerves are pain nerves, so cervical subluxation can contribute to neck pain. Still, it more commonly contributes to many other conditions, such as high blood pressure, insomnia, allergies, vision difficulties, eczema, and thyroid conditions. Let that sink in…MOST Dysfunction we DON’T FEEL, but what do we base health on? Yes, how we feel.
This is the recipe that has misled Americans for decades! The 2 top killers in the U.S. are heart disease and cancer. Do we feel heart disease and cancer? No, 2 things we don’t feel, but we still base health on how we feel? It’s not congruent, and it doesn’t make any sense. The reason we do that isn’t that it’s true; it’s because big pharma has trained us to do that. This is where the paradigm of health is backward today and how Chiropractic drastically differs from typical medical care. The spine, which houses your nervous system that runs EVERY function of our body, shouldn’t be the last thing we check; it should be the first. And if the body can’t heal itself due to some limitation of time or matter, thank god we have alternative medicine, therapy, or surgery to help us, but that shouldn’t be first; taking care of the spine should be. This doesn’t sell drugs, but it does create a proven lifestyle success strategy to create healthy human beings without the use of drugs or surgery. It ensures the flow of information that keeps the body healthy and healing is operating without any interference. This not only results in less neck pain, but also provides healthcare, not sick care, restoring and maintaining optimal function throughout the entire body for a lifetime.
$99 New Patient Special
Includes consultation with your doctor, thorough chiropractic examination, first treatment and customized plan of action.
How Our Care Plan Works
1. Finally Be Heard
Too often, patients feel like just another number in a crowded waiting room, leaving them frustrated and unheard. We believe your recovery starts with a conversation. That’s why we dedicate a full 30 minutes to your initial exam—giving you the floor to share your history, your concerns, and your goals. We’re here to listen intently, ensuring that the path we build together is one that finally puts your needs first.
2. Tailored Plan Of Attack
Knowledge is the first step toward lasting health. Once we’ve analyzed your exam results and digital X-rays, you’ll return for a detailed Report of Findings. We don’t just tell you what’s wrong; we show you why it’s happening. Together, we’ll walk through a personalized care plan tailored specifically to your lifestyle and goals. Our objective isn’t just a quick fix—it’s a sustainable strategy designed to resolve the root cause of your discomfort and prevent it from returning.
3. Take Back Control Of Your Health
Health is wealth. While resolving your symptoms is our first priority, our ultimate goal is to empower your future. We shift the focus from how you feel to how you function, teaching you the principles of spinal hygiene and proactive wellness. By investing in your health today, you aren’t just adding years to your life—you’re adding life to your years, ensuring you have the energy and mobility to enjoy every moment with the people you love.
How We Treat Neck Pain In Reading, PA
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
At McClimon Chiropractic, we know that to eliminate neck pain, we must first accurately diagnose it. Upon greeting the patient by name and giving them a tour on the way back, the doctor will help educate them about what we do. We then listen to the patient through a thorough consultation of their signs, symptoms, and history. You will have an opportunity to discuss your specific problem with the doctor and have all of your questions and concerns answered.
After the consultation, the doctor will perform appropriate orthopedic tests, a palpation exam, a postural exam, and spinal range-of-motion testing. Once all exam information is compiled, the doctor will recommend appropriate X-rays and schedule a day 2 doctors’ report of findings to review all findings and recommendations.
Digital X-rays
We believe that to see is to know and not to see is to guess, and we don’t guess with our patients’ health. So, taking X-rays is essential to evaluate the spine fully and to precisely make our chiropractic adjustments based on your misalignment or subluxation pattern. They not only allow us to see what is there but also allow us to monitor our progress or regression if future films are warranted. They are also valuable for screening for any pathology or contraindications that may require adjustment. There are circumstances in which they may not be used, such as being pregnant.
Report of Findings
This is your second appointment to review the findings from your examination. This appointment is about 30 minutes and will be extremely educational. We will discuss your findings and our recommendations based on your health goals. Then we will discuss your insurance benefits if you have insurance and how they participate. You will know exactly how often you will need to come in, how long it will take, and how much it will cost. Once all your questions are answered, you will be taken to the front for your first adjustment.
Specific Chiropractic Care in Reading, PA
Subluxation is a vertebral or extra-spinal misalignment that creates nerve pressure and dysfunction or disease of whatever the nerve tract controls. This is important because if a subluxation presses on a nerve, it can cause various symptoms depending on which nerve is involved. The spinal nerve chart is like the electrical panel of the body. It shows the nerve level and what can be impacted by pressure from subluxation at that level. For example, in addition to neck pain, pressure on your C6 nerve root can cause pain in your shoulder, arm, and hand. Pressure on your C2 nerve root could cause sinus problems, allergies, or earaches. Pressure on the C1 nerve root can cause headaches, high blood pressure, insomnia, nervousness, migraines, dizziness, or chronic fatigue, among other symptoms. Once subluxation or misalignment is identified through your examination and x-ray, the adjustment is the specific treatment to reduce or remove subluxation, restoring the body’s normal alignment and innate intelligence, restoring proper nerve flow and function, eliminating symptoms without the use of drugs or surgery. This is extremely safe and effective. Over 300 people die per day from properly prescribed drugs; no one dies from a specific chiropractic adjustment.
Custom Therapeutic Exercise Plan
Exercise is an important part of your recovery and healing process, as well as helping you achieve your full potential. Subluxation or spinal misalignment will create poor alignment and altered biomechanics, often leading to muscular imbalances. It is important to note that exercise helps support adjustments and improve flexibility and range of motion, but stretching alone will not address the root cause of the imbalance and ultimately will not provide lasting results. Exercise helps to mobilize tissues, stabilize them, and reinforce proper functional movement. Some great exercises for neck pain are cervical molding or traction, the 6-way neck stretch, the trapezius stretch, and the levator scapulae stretch. We guide all patients through a series of spinal hygiene exercises to improve and reinforce good posture. These are designed for all areas of the spine, including the neck. One of the most common problems we see today is forward head posture and a loss or even reversal of the cervical curve. This is largely due to the increased use of technology and computers, which can lead to hours of poor posture and ultimately affect your body’s structure, your nervous system, and your health. Research shows that a loss of cervical curve can severely impact longevity and quality of life by causing chronic pain, nerve compression, and accelerated spinal degeneration or osteoarthritis. This can create long-term health issues like neurological dysfunction, brain circulation issues, and reduced physical mobility. Poor posture is associated with higher mortality rates. Patients laugh when I say to stop brushing their teeth, except when they hurt, but when someone says to stop taking care of their spine, they listen. If you don’t brush your teeth, they decay faster; if you don’t “brush” your spine, it will decay faster, affecting what is on the inside of it, your nervous system that runs your life. You can live without your teeth, but you can’t live without your nervous system. We provide a series of home daily hygiene range-of-motion exercises for neck pain to support your adjustments and spinal health.
We also provide access to our Movewell site, which includes a video library of stretches and exercises to improve mobility, stability, and proper functional movement in your lower back and throughout the body. This can be found at movewelltools.com. The username is mcclimon3@ptd.net, and the password is movewell4u. This site has helped guide patients with their home exercise and rehabilitation. Please note that with low back pain, you typically want to avoid any exercises that put you in extension, as they can further compress your nerve roots and increase pressure on the already inflamed area, possibly worsening your symptoms. Flexion exercises are much more helpful in the acute period of lower back pain.
Common Causes of Neck Pain in Reading, PA
Subluxation
In simple terms, this is when a bone of your spine shifts out of alignment and causes pressure on your nerves. This can cause neck pain, among other symptoms shown on the spinal nerve chart. Sometimes we feel subluxation, but most of the time we don’t, as only about 10% of our nerves are pain nerves. So, this is why basing health on how we feel, as Big Pharma has trained us to do for years, is a bad idea. We find subluxation through examination and x-ray, and make specific adjustments to restore proper alignment and nerve flow, thereby restoring the body’s innate intelligence and usually eliminating neck pain and all symptoms associated with compromised nerve function. A chiropractor is the only healthcare professional trained to detect and correct subluxation.
Disc bulge, Protrusion, or Herniation
The vertebral disc is the jelly-like cushion between the vertebrae. This acts as a cushion, creating space between the vertebrae and allowing ample room for the exiting spinal nerve roots to function. These discs can become damaged from an acute injury or chronic breakdown, squeezing the nerve root and increasing pressure on it, decreasing space, and increasing inflammation. When this happens in the neck, it can create symptoms such as neck pain, headaches, high blood pressure, chronic tiredness, dizziness, anxiety, allergies, sinus problems, vision and hearing difficulties, earache, eczema, arm pain, thyroid conditions, and the potential for many other symptoms we mostly don’t feel. Please note that chronic disc breakdown is made worse with spinal misalignment. If you drive on a crooked tire, it wears out faster. If you live with a crooked spine, it also wears out faster; it’s called Wolff’s law. So, the sooner you catch this, the better. This is why getting your spine checked early is important.
These bulges come in 3 stages. The bulge is when it squeezes out minimally, the protrusion is when it squeezes out moderately, and the herniation is when the annulus or covering around the disc ruptures and the disc material squeezes out. In all of these cases, we always recommend conservative care first and working toward more invasive options last. We treat with specific chiropractic adjustments and a customized home therapy and exercise protocol. Most of these cases get better in our office, except for the more severe herniations, which may require medical intervention.
Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative Disc Disease or DDD is the wear and tear arthritis or Osteoarthritis of the spine to the point where the disc or cushion between the vertebrae starts to degenerate or thin. There are 4 phases of degenerative disc disease. Phase I is where the spine is out of alignment but has not yet decayed or degenerated. Phase II is where the spine is out of alignment. There is thinning of the disc, with associated osteoarthritis or bone spurring, which can compress the nerve. Phase III is when you begin to see more severe disc degeneration and osteoarthritis, creating more nerve pressure. Phase IV is when the disc is so decayed that it fuses to the one next to it. DDD causes the disc space to narrow, increasing pressure on the nerves and affecting how they function and how you work.
Someone with DDD will usually experience pain, inflammation, and decreased range of motion. The number one risk factor for DDD is poor posture or poor spinal alignment. So please be conscious of your posture and ergonomics with technology and devices; this is one of the best ways to prevent and/or treat DDD. DDD is not created because your spine is in good alignment; it is created because your spine is in a bad alignment. If you drive on a tire that is out of alignment, it wears out faster. If you live with a spine out of alignment, it wears out faster; it’s called Wolff’s law and is just physics. So, we don’t get osteoarthritis or DDD because we are old, we get it because we have old misalignment. The best way to treat Osteoarthritis or DDD is early detection with a series of specific chiropractic adjustments and customized postural exercises. Once you get it, you can’t get rid of it. So, having your spine checked at an early age is the best way to prevent it. If you have DDD, specific chiropractic adjustments can still help improve alignment and function, increase joint motion, and reduce nerve pressure and neck pain.
Muscle Strain
Muscle strain occurs when the muscle fibers are overstretched or torn, often involving the muscle tendon. There are 3 grades of muscle tears based on severity. This occurs from muscles being overstretched, overworked, or contracted for too long. This may be due to introducing a new exercise, doing more exercise than usual, or doing a routine exercise for too long or with too much weight. Muscle strain can cause pain, inflammation, muscle spasms, and limit mobility and mechanics. Muscle strains heal over time with rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE). Muscle strain is more likely to occur if we have poor posture or alignment. Structure affects function, and posture affects performance. This is why having a thorough spine and nervous system evaluation is so important at an early age: muscle strain could result from a structural imbalance, and neck pain may be the result. If it is, Stretching and RICE may help initially, but it will be temporary and keep coming back until the root cause of the problem is addressed – the structure.
Tech Neck
Tech Neck is the loss of the normal lordotic forward neck curvature due to repetitive stress from looking down at smartphones, iPads, laptops, computers, and other technological devices. It is extremely prevalent due to the number of hours Americans spend on their devices every day. The cervical spine normally has a forward or lordotic curvature, which is about 7x stronger and can absorb about 20-30x more compressive forces than a hypolordotic straight neck or kyphotic cervical spine that actually goes backward. With the significant increase in the use of smartphones, which is about 97% of adults, and the use of other laptops and computers, humans are looking down literally half of their day, and it is destroying the normal cervical curve for people.
The average American spends over 5 hours per day on a device, and Gen Z now spends over 6.5 hours/day on devices. It shouldn’t be a surprise when people look down this many hours a day and wonder why they have neck pain. With this level of usage, it has a ton of detrimental health effects, but one of the greatest is the destruction of the cervical curvature. This not only causes neck pain and headaches but also significantly impacts many areas of health, depending on the nerves affected by the misalignment. This misalignment is called subluxation, and it causes pressure on your nervous system, affecting whatever that nerve level controls, as seen in the spinal nerve chart (attached). Neck pain is one of many. Another reason tech neck is so bad is Wolff’s law: the body responds to the stresses put upon it. If you drive on a crooked tire, it wears out faster. If you live with a crooked spine, it wears out faster. We don’t get osteoarthritis or “wear and tear” arthritis because we are old; we get osteoarthritis because we have old misalignment. So, not only is losing your cervical curvature causing you neck pain, it will begin the process of osteoarthritis or degenerative disc disease, which creates more neck pain and irreversible damage short of surgery.
Whiplash
Whiplash is a neck injury caused by a sudden, forceful, whipping back and forth movement of the head. Whiplash most commonly happens from rear-end auto accidents, but it can also happen from sports injuries, falls, and other physical impacts to the head and neck area. Whiplash commonly causes subluxation in the neck and upper back, resulting in neck pain, stiffness, headache, shoulder pain, and reduced range of motion. It can also result in dizziness, fatigue, and chronic pain if not addressed. If you think you have had whiplash, it is important to be aware that symptoms may not begin for weeks or months after the injury. The chiropractic approach to whiplash involves a thorough consultation and examination, followed by x-rays and a comprehensive doctor’s report to review the findings and provide recommendations to help the patient return to pre-injury status. The treatment consists of a series of chiropractic adjustments, home exercises, and possible adjunctive procedures. This approach is superior to all others simply because it addresses the root cause of the problem, not just the symptoms.
Osteoarthritis
Arthritis is a term that refers to a “disease” that causes chronic inflammation and makes you feel pain, stiffness, and swelling in one or more joints where bones meet. There are 2 main types of arthritis. Osteoarthritis, which is the “wear and tear” type of arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis, which is autoimmune in nature. The best way to prevent osteoarthritis is to maintain good spine and joint alignment. If you drive on a crooked tire, it wears out faster. If you live with a crooked spine, it wears out faster. We don’t get osteoarthritis or “wear and tear” arthritis because we are old; we get osteoarthritis because we have old misalignment. Maintaining good spinal hygiene and alignment from an early age is the best prevention. Unfortunately, you cannot get rid of osteoarthritis once it is there. You cannot grow a degenerated disc back or remove calcified bone spurs, so the best treatment is prevention – specifically, regular corrective chiropractic adjustments to maintain proper alignment. This is why everyone should have their spine checked early in life. One, because you usually don’t feel it, and two, because everyone should know whether their spine is healthy or sick, since what is inside it runs your life.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I see a chiropractor for neck pain?
Right away! Symptoms are the last thing to come, but luckily, the first thing to go away. By the time you feel a symptom, the problem has been there for a long time, so get it checked ASAP!
What can I do to relieve my neck pain in Birdsboro, PA?
At home, find the inflamed area and ice it for 20 to 30 minutes, 2 to 3 times per day. Rest and often modifying activity can be helpful. Then call our office to have a complete spine and nervous system evaluation to check for subluxation or other pathology.
How do I know if my neck pain is serious?
The best way to determine if your neck pain is serious is to be evaluated by a doctor who can use specialized testing, knowledge, and expertise to determine the severity of your condition.
How should I sleep with neck pain?
The best way to sleep is on your side in the fetal position, with a pillow of the right thickness to keep your neck in line with the rest of your spine in a straight, horizontal position. Belly sleeping can create neck rotation and lumbar extension, which can be stressful on the spine and nervous system. Back sleeping is not ideal because it can create cervical flexion and create undue strain on your neck and nervous system.
Why won’t my neck pain go away?
If your neck pain is not subsiding, it can be due to many things, including bulged or herniated discs, foraminal or spinal stenosis from osteoarthritis, tech neck, subluxation, a space-occupying lesion such as a tumor, whiplash, or facet joint dysfunction. The human body has an amazing innate intelligence and power to heal itself, but if it is not getting better, your best bet is to see a chiropractor ASAP to determine why.
Is a chiropractor in Reading, PA, good for neck pain?
Yes, McClimon Chiropractic has been helping eliminate neck pain for over 20 years.
Is massage or chiropractic better for neck pain?
A chiropractor. Neck pain is usually from pressure on your nerves. Massaging muscles often feels great, but it does not address the underlying structural issue, so it does not address the root cause. Massage works well in conjunction with chiropractic, but, done alone, will often lead to short-term relief.
How can you tell if your neck is out of alignment?
Look in a mirror and look at your posture. Do you have one shoulder that is higher than the other? Do you have a head tilt one way? Do you have forward head posture? If you answered yes to any of these questions, your spine is likely misaligned.
How does a slipped disc in the neck feel?
If you have sharp pain, especially with neck extension, radiating down one or both arms, or worsening with coughing, you may have a slipped disc.
Is it Ok to “pop” my own neck?
NO. The “pop” is nitrogen gas that is released from the joint capsule. If this happens on its own during normal movements, it is ok and not uncommon, but forcefully or habitually moving your neck is not. Hence, it should be avoided, as it poses potential risks and does not address the underlying cause of the stiffness or pain.
Do medical doctors recommend chiropractors for neck pain?
I have heard this answered both ways, but there is only 1 right answer. It should always be yes. One, because chiropractic is proven to be up to 94% effective for neck pain without the dangerous side effects of drugs. Two: because chiropractic is not only the most effective way to treat neck pain, but also the safest. About 300 people die every day from properly prescribed drugs. No one dies from a specific chiropractic adjustment. If you’re scared of chiropractic, it’s because pharma has trained you to be scared, just like they trained you to base health on how you feel, not because it’s true. And three, because chiropractic is not only fixing your neck pain, it is restoring proper spinal alignment by removing subluxation, which maximizes nervous system function to every cell, tissue, and organ of your body, helping much more than the one thing you feel, preventing osteoarthritis, and improving spinal mobility, also improving neurological function. A doctor should never tell you to stop brushing your teeth, and a doctor should never tell you to stop taking care of your spine, which houses and protects your nervous system that runs your life!
Why does my neck hurt on one side?
Spinal nerve roots come out on both sides of the spine. Often, when subluxation or spinal misalignment happens, it creates impingement on the more compressed side. Another reason may be that a disc bulge is often on one side or the other, affecting the nervous system on only one side. It can also come from poor posture, tech neck, poor sleeping habits, or stress, which can create muscle strain on only one side.
$99 New Patient Special
Includes consultation with your doctor, thorough chiropractic examination, first treatment and customized plan of action.
