How Can A Chiropractor Relieve Neck Pain
As part of the treatment plan, your Chiropractor may use a combination of manual therapy and spinal manipulation.
The first step would be to locate the source of your pain and to ask you questions about your symptoms and remedies youve already tried.
The Chiropractor will evaluate your spine to figure out if other regions of the neck are affected, but its not just about the manual treatment its about education.
What youll learn are useful tips about stress management, nutrition, and mindfulness tips you can use in your everyday life to prevent future discomfort and pain.
Other than the physical exam, youll also go through your past medical history together, and you might need to do an imaging test that will help the diagnosis.
Common Gentle Chiropractic Techniques
Examples of commonly employed gentle chiropractic techniques include :
- Cervical mobilization: The patient is usually lying on his or her back and is relaxed while the chiropractor manually moves the vertebra in the neck left to right, and vice versa, alternating between the side to side motion and a figure 8 movement, applied at varying degrees of moving the head forward, backward, and to the side and in rotation. This is a smooth, non-thrust type of stretch, with the goal of reducing fixations or areas where motion is restricted between the cervical spinal segments. An oscillatory movement with the hands is also frequently utilized during cervical spine mobilization.
- Cervical manual traction: The patient is usually lying face up or sitting, or less commonly prone . The chiropractor gently pulls on the neck, stretching the cervical spine often varying the angle between flexion and extension , based on comfort and searching for the correct angle to most efficiently reduce the tightness. This technique is often combined with mobilization, switching between the two and/or doing both simultaneously.
How Long Do I Need To See A Chiropractor For Neck Pain
Your chiropractic treatment plan will depend on your particular situation. Patients who experience neck pain due to auto accidents, sports injuries or arthritis may need long-term care, whereas patients who experience neck pain from postural issues or a pinched nerve may only need short-term care.
The best way to determine your length of care is to see a chiropractor for x-rays, palpations and a consultation.
If you experience neck pain, discomfort or stiffness, call us at or request an appointment online.
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How A Chiropractor Can Help A Stiff Neck
As a master of the spine, a chiropractor may be a good choice for treating neck pain. Stiffness of the neck is one of the most common ailments in today’s society since so many situations can cause it. Sitting at a computer desk all day, sleeping wrong at night, car accidents or even moving the neck too suddenly in the wrong direction can all result in neck stiffness. If you live with neck discomfort chronic or not know that a chiropractic practitioner can help.
Should You See A Chiropractor For Back Pain
Nearly everyone suffers from back pain at some point. One treatment option is chiropractic care, which often includes spinal manipulation , exercise advice, and self-care recommendations. A review of research found that spinal manipulation can help relieve pain and improve function in people with acute low-back pain, one of the most common types of back pain.
Duke chiropractor Eugene Lewis, DC, MPH, answers questions about how chiropractic care can help.
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What To Do If You Experience Shoulder And Neck Pain
If you all of a sudden get extreme pain in your shoulder, neck and jaw it may be a sign of heart attack so you should have someone call 911 to get checked out immediately. However, this a rare occurrence. With 99% of cases your shoulder and neck pain or discomfort with come after youve had some kind of physical trauma such as accident, a fall, or sports injury.
The first hing to try is applying heat and ice where the pain is located. Always try ice first. Apply the ice pack to the inflamed area for 10 minutes, then give it a 5 minute rest, then apply heat for 5 minutes. Then repeat. If after a day or two you find the pain just isnt subsiding, get into see a doctor for further examination.
This may result in you heading off to get X-rays done to further diagnose the exact cause of the inflammation. As the healing process moves on you would be greatly benefited if you can manage to afford physiotherapy and/or a chiropractic care.
Wed like to finish with a video today. Check it out below!
My Upper Cervical Experience
My first upper cervical chiropractic adjustment was over 35 years ago.
And I went in, because I woke up one morning with my neck locked up, and I couldnt turn my head. But after a week of muscle relaxers, I still couldnt turn my head and that triggered a few migraines too. So cautiously, I booked an appointment with a chiropractor. The first doctor to touch my neck and back, even after several years of medical treatment for various joint, muscle, and nerve symptoms.
Then he showed me some x-rays and tapped a tender spot behind my ear. I knew that couldnt treat my spasm but for some reason I trusted him.
And within a few visits my neck could move. Within a few weeks I was getting fewer migraines. But within a few months, I was off all my lifelong medications.
And this is where most people tune out and turn off. Because we cant hear about anything other than about a new wonder drug. And that could be important. But it should never mandate one option for all.
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Gentle Chiropractic Techniques For Neck Pain
If the patient cannot relax, or simply dislikes the cavitation/cracking feeling or sound or any type of concerns, a gentle form of chiropractic adjustment may be utilized rather than the more traditional techniques. Some of these methods include a slower technique performed within the passive range of joint motion.
Does Stress Cause Neck Pain
We know about the biopsychosocial model for health for some time now.
However, not many if at all chiropractors or physiotherapists actually address pain in a holistic, whole-person approach.
The status quo is chiropractors trying to adjust or manipulate your joints or physiotherapists trying to breakdown scar tissue or release tension.
Both structural approaches are considered to be outdated not not congruent with best evidence practice.
With advancement in neuroscience, we know that people your state of mind can change how your brain process pain. Similarly, we also know that you can change your brain even to a structural extent with mindfulness practice.
Other research has shown that stress can make a person more susceptible to pain and it is only of the potential reasons why some people experience chronic pain.
A 2018 study looking at 2339 neck pain sufferers and 3290 healthy participants found that anxiety/depression symptoms are associated with neck pain.
A later study in 2019 examining depression and anxiety in lower back pain patients found anxious and depression patients to experience more severe pain.
In short, the neck discomfort you experience is NOT strictly physical.
Take a few minutes to consider your own experience.
Are you able to identify stressful or busy periods when you experience more severe symptoms than usual?
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Gently Massage And Stretch Your Neck
You can use your own hands, or someone else’s if they are willing, to fix the crick in your neck.
Lightly rub your neck and upper shoulders and back where the muscles feel tight and knotted.
Do not rub too harshly and be careful not to hurt yourself further, but usually, a massage can loosen up a tighten or spasmed muscle.
If you want to stretch your neck gently, lay down on a flat and soft surface like a carpeted floor or bed, and slowly turn your head from side to side.
Do not turn your head until it is painful, just enough to slowly work out the kinks.
All Studies Have Limitations
And this one is no exception. While this study suggests that chiropractic care may be helpful for low back pain, some aspects of the study make it hard to be sure. For example:
If any of these factors had been different, the results might have been different. For example, its possible that if an older population of people with chronic low back pain had been studied, “usual care” might have been the better treatment.
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When To See A Chiropractor For Neck Pain
It might be that you woke up with a stiff neck. Or you had a couple of stressful days. Those symptoms usually pass after a few days and can be successfully eased with simple exercise routines and proper sleep.
But what about the big warning signs that its time to visit your Chiropractor for neck pain?
- Your neck pain is worse when you first wake up
- Your pain is constant, even after a few days
- You cant move your head from side to side without severe pain
- You are considering self-medication
- You believe that the neck pain has a more serious cause
- The pain moved to numbness or tingling in your hands
- The pain was caused by an accident
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Reduces Reliance On Opioid Pain Relievers
People with chronic pain are often given prescriptions for opioid pain relievers to help manage their discomfort. However, undergoing chiropractic treatment may lower your need to take these pain relievers.
A large 2020 study compared the number of prescriptions for opioid pain relievers filled for adults who visited just their doctor or who visited both a chiropractor and their doctor to treat spinal pain.
The study found that adults who visited a chiropractor were less likely to get an opioid prescription filled for their pain compared to those who only saw their doctor.
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Chiropractic Care For Arthritis
Learn when its safe and unsafe to see a chiropractor to ease joint pain and stiffness.
If youve had back pain or a stiff neck, whether from arthritis or an injury, youve likely considered seeing a chiropractor. While its true that chiropractors manipulate or adjust the spine to improve pain and mobility, the benefits may extend beyond the back and neck. By using varying degrees of force in an effort to adjust misaligned joints, chiropractors try to improve the relationship between the spine and nervous system, which they believe may affect the function of all the organs and systems in the body.
We are certainly the front-line providers for back pain, but were also primary-care professionals who look at and evaluate the whole body, says Ron Boesch, a chiropractor and professor and director of clinics at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa. Chiropractic treatment continues to grow in mainstream medicine. In a 2015 Gallup poll commissioned by the college, 60% of the more than 5,400 people polled believed chiropractic care is an effective treatment for neck and back pain. But what should you expect from a chiropractor visit and is it safe for arthritis?
What to Expect From a Chiropractor
If youre looking for a non-medication way to take the edge off of those painful joints, chiropractic medicine may be for you, as long as you remember to listen to your body.
Is Chiropractic Care Safe for Arthritis?
Neck Pain Related To The Spine
The most common cause of neck pain is functional distortions in the spine resulting from vertebral fixations. These subluxations are common in cases of reverse cervical curve, whiplash and joint instability. The body responds by tightening muscles in the neck, splinting the joint to protect it from further insult.
Most of the pain-sensing nerves in the neck are located in the pairs of facet joints on the back of each vertebra. These smooth, interlocking surfaces allow you to rotate your head and bend your head up and down. If these joints become locked or fixated, it can cause neck pain.
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What Causes Neck Pain And When To See A Chiropractor
Neck pain is typically the result of one of two conditions: A pinched nerve or whiplash. A pinched nerve occurs when one or more vertebrae shift out of alignment and literally “pinch” the nerve in the neck. Vertebrae may shift out of alignment for any number of reasons. For instance, poor posture, sitting in an awkward position for too long, forcing the neck out of its normal range of motion or continually sleeping on the stomach without a pillow can all cause the vertebrae to move and pinch the nerve.
Another cause of neck pain is whiplash. Whiplash occurs when the neck moves back-and-forth in a rapid, whip-like motion, hence the name. The sudden and forceful movement overstretches the neck and causes the tendons and ligaments within it to tear.
A chiropractor can help treat both a pinched nerve and whiplash. Below are a few instances in which a person should visit the nearest Doctor of Chiropractic for help:
- The neck stiffness began a few days after a car accident
- Neck pain and stiffness does not improve within a few days
- Neck stiffness prevents turning the head without experiencing severe pain
- The person begins to rely on over-the-counter pain medications to manage the pain
- The pain begins to cause numbness or tingling in the arms, wrists or hands
Risks And Side Effects Of Chiropractic
Livesay Chiropractic Can Help With Neck Pain & HeadachesChiropractic is generally safe when performed correctly by a trained and registered chiropractor.
Some people may experience side effects from treatment, such as:
- aches and pains
- tiredness
These side effects are usually mild and pass in a few days.
There is a risk of more serious problems, such as slipped disc and stroke, from spinal manipulation.
Speak to a GP if you’re unsure whether chiropractic is safe for you.
Page last reviewed: 11 September 2020 Next review due: 11 September 2023
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Can Chiropractors Help Neck Pain
The biggest difference between a chiropractor and a massage therapist or stretch therapist is the training they received. Chiropractors are musculoskeletal health experts who had undergone years of chiropractic clinical training to diagnose and treat your symptoms.
On the other hand, masseuse do no have clinical training and by extension cannot diagnose your neck pain. It is common for massage therapist to treat your pain with only manual therapy .
Chiropractors are trained to provide an array of treatments such as chiropractic adjustments, dry needling, exercise rehabilitation, physical therapy, ultrasound or laser therapy.
To become an accredited doctor of chiropractic in Australia, chiropractors trained for a minimum of five years at a university level.
Seeing A Chiropractor For Neck Pain Can Help Give You Relief
A study by showed that chiropractic treatment which involved a combination of adjustments, manual therapy, soft tissue work and exercises had strong evidence for acute and chronic neck pain and was beneficial in giving effective neck pain relief.
When a chiropractor assesses, diagnoses and treats your neck pain it can be extremely helpful in finally helping you move your neck freely without pain.
If you are experiencing neck pain and think chiropractic neck pain treatment can give you relief call us today or book online to see if one of our Chiropractors in Sydney CBD can help you.
GET EFFECTIVE NECK PAIN TREATMENT
Learn how neck treatment can help stop your pain
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When Should You See A Chiropractor For Neck Pain
While there are several things you can do at home to help relieve your neck pain, its important to know when its time to see a chiropractor for neck pain.
Chiropractors specialize in treatment for neck pain. After a physical exam and X-rays, they help to restore motion to stiff joints through a chiropractic treatment plan that usually includes chiropractic adjustments, specific neck exercises and physiotherapy.
Should You See A Chiropractor For Low Back Pain
If youve ever seen a doctor for back pain, youre not alone. An estimated 85% of people experience back pain severe enough to see a doctor for at some point in their life. Yet despite how common it is, the precise cause of pain is often unclear. And a single, best treatment for most low back pain is unknown. For these reasons, doctors recommendations tend to vary. “Standard care” includes a balance of rest, stretching and exercise, heat, pain relievers, and time. Some doctors also suggest trying chiropractic care. The good news is that no matter what treatment is recommended, most people with a recent onset of back pain are better within a few weeks often within a few days.
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Pain Is Like An Alarm System
Your pain works like an alarm system. It is a survival mechanism that is designed to warn you of actual or potential threats. However, having pain doesnt mean there will be damage.
If you bump hard into a car and the alarm goes off, does that mean the car is being broken into?
This is because car alarms dont actually detect theft.
Car alarms detect impact. When a car alarm goes off, it means there has been sufficient impact to trigger the alarm. It doesnt mean that the car is being broken into.
When you experiences neck stiffness with prolonged sitting, your brain interprets the sitting experience as a potential threat and gives you the uncomfortable experience.
The longer the sit for, the more intense the sensation. But does that mean there is an ongoing damage occurring?
Despite how sitting is said to be bad for you, there is no research to support this!
Narratives around poor posture and text neck are not evidence-based. They are likely marketing scare tactics used to push sales.
There is no good research to suggest that poor posture is bad for you.
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