Neck pain is a common ailment that affects many people. Whether you're an athlete or sitting at your desk for too long, chances are you've experienced neck pain at some point in your life. But when neck pain persists, it can be debilitating and impact the quality of your life.
Fortunately, there's help - this help doesn't require taking drugs or spending money on expensive treatment plans. Instead, chiropractic care is one of the most effective ways to get rid of chronic neck pain immediately.
What is neck pain, and why does it happen?
The neck is a complex system of bones, muscles, and ligaments that support the head. When these structures become tight or strained for any reason, they can cause pain in your neck area.
Neck pain also happens when you have an injury to one of these supporting tissues. This may be due to:
- Trauma such as whiplash from being involved in a car accident,
- Repetitive strain from activities like playing tennis or sitting at a computer without taking regular breaks,
- Physical overexertion like lifting something heavy above shoulder height while twisting outwards away from the body (which could happen if you're moving furniture), or
- Problems with your spine, such as spondylolisthesis, means part of one vertebra slides onto another vertebra below it.
What is chiropractic care?
Chiropractic care is a form of treatment that focuses on the relationship between changes in your spine and how this can impact other parts of your body. You may not realize it, but you use your neck muscles every time you move, so if these are tight or strained, then all sorts of problems could arise like back pain, tension headaches, or even difficulty sleeping.
What does chiropractic care involve?
The first step to treating chronic neck pain through chiropractic care is examining some manual tests and special instruments called "mapping." The doctor will ask questions about what kind of work you do, any stress-related activities such as sitting at a desk for long periods without regular breaks, sports injuries, and any other relevant medical history.
The exam will also include a range of tests to determine the condition and position of your spine while mapping out the location of pain on your body. Suppose there is no significant damage found during the examination.
In that case, chiropractic treatment may not be appropriate for you - instead, in this case, physical therapy or massage might help relieve symptoms like neck stiffness and headaches from tension in the muscles around your shoulder blades.
How can I get rid of my chronic neck pain through chiropractic care?
Chiropractors like Dr. Paul Grindstaff of ChiroRehab of Texas, uses gentle spinal adjustments and manipulations that restore joint mobility, reduce inflammation, realign misaligned vertebrae and provide long-term relief without drugs or surgery.
It's important to remember that chiropractic care is a holistic treatment that addresses the whole body and not just one area. The idea is to get rid of neck pain and any other symptoms you're currently experiencing so they don't come back in the future.
The treatments can range from two or three sessions up to 12-24 weeks, depending on how complicated your condition is. This will depend on what has been determined during the examination process. Some people like to have regular adjustments instead for maintenance purposes - this is usually every six months or once a year, depending on severity.
Why do chiropractors treat neck pain?
A good chiropractor will help alleviate the pain and discomfort of your neck and get you back on track with a healthy spine. If it's chronic, then they can fix that too. Chronic neck pain usually indicates an underlying issue; be sure to check out these common causes before going straight for medications or surgery:
- Poor posture from overuse (and lack thereof) at work—for example, prolonged periods sitting in front of a computer without breaks is one cause behind this persistent ache;
- A pinched nerve near the base of the skull due to pressure exerted thereby muscle spasms in response to inflammation caused by arthritis or other joint conditions;
- Herniated discs as the result of age-related degeneration or injury;
- Arthritis in one or more vertebrae, which may be the cause of neck pain with an altered range of motion.
A well-trained chiropractor will have a solid understanding of how all this is related and help you quickly get to the root problem.
There are many reasons why people come to see chiropractors for treatment. They often come for chronic neck pain due to an underlying condition like arthritis, poor posture, muscle spasms, pinched nerve near base skull from pressure exerted by inflammation caused by arthritis, or other joint disorders.
There are many causes behind what's going on, but a good chiropractor will have a solid understanding of how all this is related and help you get to the root problem quickly.
How to find a good chiropractor near you
The first step to finding a good chiropractor is asking friends and family for recommendations. Chiropractors are in the healthcare profession, so if you have any friends or family members who've seen them before, then they'll be able to tell you whether it was an enjoyable experience or not. If your friend went once but felt terrible afterward, then that might not be the best suggestion.
The next thing you should do is search online for reviews of different clinics nearby - this will give you a much better idea about how other people feel about their experiences with each clinic. You can also visit their clinic in Dallas or this website: ChiroRehabOfTexas.com to provide you with a thorough understanding of how chiropractic care works with your pain and discomfort.
There are also other ways to find a good chiropractor near you. For example, you could ask your GP for recommendations on the best clinics in their area. Alternatively, you could directly message some of the many credible websites that rank and review different clinic providers.
Types of treatments that can help with neck pain
Chiropractors have a few tools to treat their patients and alleviate the chronic pain they may be experiencing because of their spine being out of alignment. The first type is spinal manipulation or "adjustment." These types of movements manipulate the joints and relieve any pressure on nerves in your spine, which then causes you less discomfort from your condition either temporarily or permanently.
Depending on how severe your case may be, determine what kind of treatment works best for you and further aggravate your symptoms. There isn't anything wrong with trying something new, even if chiropractic has been unsuccessful in the past.
Benefits Of Chiropractic Care For Neck Pain
Neck pain is a common complaint, affecting as many as one in five adults.
Chiropractic care can help with neck pain by alleviating pressure on the nerves and discs between each vertebra that run up your spine to the base of your skull. Treatment may involve spinal adjustments (manipulation), therapeutic massages, or other treatments to relieve muscle tension.
Spinal adjustments are gentle but powerful enough to relieve most neck problems--including pinched nerves from herniated disks, arthritis, or whiplash injury.
A typical series will last about six weeks. They could include several sessions per week, so it's important to allow ample time before any significant event where you'll be sitting still for long periods.
Some may feel immediate relief after their first adjustment, while others might need several adjustments before any changes are felt. But in most cases, neck pain will be relieved with chiropractic care within a few weeks, depending on the severity and duration of your condition.
- Relieves pressure on discs and nerves
- Improves blood flow to the neck area
- Increases range of motion in your spine
- Help remove muscle tension, joint stiffness, or inflammation that can cause pain
- Lessens headaches and improves sleep patterns (via relieving pressure from compressed spinal nerves)
- Decreases stress levels by alleviating muscular tension throughout the body
The benefits of chiropractic care for neck pain are immediate. After just one visit, you may notice more mobility--which reduces strain on muscles and joints while also increasing space to allow fluid to circulate through these areas.
And with less time spent at work worrying about your chronic condition, there's a good chance you'll feel renewed enthusiasm for life outside of work as well.
Tips for preventing future episodes of neck pain
The pain in your neck might be a sign of stress. Stress can have many causes, from work-related to family problems. If you're not sure what's causing the problem try checking out these helpful tips for preventing future episodes of neck pain:
The best way to deal with chronic neck pain is to find its cause and address it before it worsens. One easy solution? Reduce your workload so you don't feel overwhelmed or overworked by projects at home or work alike. This will also help minimize any other sources of stress in your life.
If this approach doesn't do the trick, then consider altering how you sit while working on projects at home--try sitting up straight rather than slouching. You might also consider taking a break before starting on your next project to give yourself time to decompress from the last one and reinvigorate.
Dealing with stress in our lives is an essential part of avoiding future episodes of neck pain. Still, there are other ways you can reduce its impact: meditation, exercise, or breathing exercises; all have been shown to help relieve tension that contributes to chronic pain (for example, headaches).
Remember that it's often helpful to try different positions for sleeping--in particular, make sure not only when lying down but sitting up during work hours you're using good posture so that muscles don't get overused or strained while supporting weight. Try these tips out and see if they alleviate the pain in your neck.
Additionally, chiropractic care can often help alleviate the symptoms of chronic neck and back pain. Chiropractors work by correcting spinal alignment so that nerves pass through more easily without being impeded by any misalignments or pressure on them, which is thought to cause some aches and pains.
If you are experiencing chronic neck problems, it may be worth consulting a spine specialist for treatment options--they will know how best to deal with your specific needs better than anyone else.
Things to avoid if you have chronic neck pain
Painkillers: Painkillers often complicate the situation and make symptoms worse. Drugs have been taken too frequently or in large doses, leading to addiction, nausea, headaches, and stomach problems.
Massage therapy: Massages may be a good option for pain relief because they are relaxing, but it is essential not to have massages on areas where any injury or inflammation occurs. Some people with chronic neck pain also find massage uncomfortable, so it is best if you avoid it until your condition improves.
Lose weight: Excess body weight puts more pressure around the joints, which causes discomfort and backache - losing some pounds might help reduce these symptoms. However, if losing weight isn't possible, it's worth considering a weight reduction - cutting down on calories and increasing exercise stops you from gaining more pounds.
Posture: One of the most important things to do is correct your posture as often when stressed or tired; this can make our neck, shoulders, and backache because we are not getting enough oxygen into our bloodstream.
An excellent way to improve posture is by keeping your head up with your chin parallel to the ground; chest lifted outwards, shoulder blades pulled together at the top so they don't slump forward, which can cause hunched over postures that lead to chronic pain! Make sure you take regular breaks from sitting at work too.
- It's also helpful if you sleep with pillows propping up your head and neck or if you sleep on your back.
- If you work at a desk all day, it's essential to take regular breaks from this too - every 20/30 minutes, switch positions by standing up for five minutes, or going outside for some fresh air.
- Eyes can be affected as well, so make sure you're not spending hours in front of a computer screen with poor lighting, which can lead to eye strain and headaches.
Final Words
In conclusion, chiropractic for neck pain is a therapeutic option that has successfully relieved chronic pain and alleviated symptoms of sciatica, headaches, joint problems, and more severe health conditions such as asthma and depression.
The benefits are endless with this type of treatment because it helps you get rid of your current problem and improves overall spinal function, which results in less stress on other parts of the body to compensate for misalignment, ultimately leading to improved quality of life.