Neck pain is a common condition affecting the neck and shoulders. It can range from mild to severe and can cause pain in other areas of the body.
There are many different types of neck pain (e.g. muscle strain, arthritis, and osteoporosis). The good news is that there are several treatment options available for patients with neck pain. Chiropractic for Neck Pain is one of them!
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What Causes Neck Pain?
Neck pain is the second most common musculoskeletal complaint. It can be caused by a variety of things, including poor posture, stress, injury, and overuse. While there are many different causes of neck pain, chiropractic care can help with all of them.
- Poor Posture – Neck pain is often caused by poor posture. If you work at a computer all day, for example, you may find yourself hunching over in an effort to see the screen better. This can cause your neck to curve forward and your shoulders to slump. This posture puts pressure on your spine and discs, which can lead to chronic neck pain. Chiropractic care can help patients restore proper alignment and relieve pressure on the nerves in their necks so they can move more freely again.
- Acute Injury – Acute injuries are another common cause of neck pain that chiropractic care can help with. If you fall or get hit in the head while playing sports or doing yard work, for example, you may experience acute neck pain as a result of whiplash or ligament damage.
- Arthritis – Arthritis is a degenerative joint disease that causes inflammation in the joint lining and cartilage which leads to stiffness and pain.
- Osteoporosis – Osteoporosis is a condition where your bones become less dense over time due to low bone mineral density (BMD). BMD decreases as you get older due to both age-related changes in bone tissue as well as lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, smoking, and alcohol consumption. BMD decreases even more after menopause due to lower estrogen levels which affect the way your bones grow and develop throughout life.
Chiropractic for Neck Pain
Chiropractic care is an effective treatment option for neck pain because it focuses on non-surgical treatment for spinal problems and its related symptoms. Chiropractors have extensive training in spinal manipulation, which is one of the most common treatments used at their offices.
Here are seven ways chiropractic care can help with your neck pain:
Chiropractic care can mobilize the spine.
The spine consists of 24 vertebrae that are stacked one on top of another like a series of building blocks. When they get out of alignment or misalignment occurs due to injury or poor posture, it can lead to pain and stiffness in your neck region. Chiropractors perform spinal adjustments that realign these vertebral bones so they are no longer pinching nerves or causing irritation in your spinal cord. This makes you feel better not only immediately after the adjustment but also over time because it helps prevent future problems from developing as well as relieving current symptoms from occurring again in the future.
It helps reduce inflammation.
Inflammation is one of the chief causes of pain and stiffness in the neck. Chiropractic care can help reduce inflammation with spinal adjustments that improve joint mobility, reduce muscle spasms, and increase blood flow to injured tissues.
It reduces stress on your body’s joints by adjusting them back into alignment.
The neck is a complex part of the body, with many muscles, bones, and joints that work together to allow us to turn our heads from side to side. When something goes wrong with one of these structures, it can cause significant pain, discomfort, and decreased mobility.
In most cases, chiropractic care can help relieve neck pain by adjusting the joints back into alignment. This reduces stress on your body’s joints by allowing them to move freely again.
Chiropractic care improves the range of motion in your neck.
Chiropractic care can help to improve the range of motion in your neck. When you have a poor range of motion, it can cause your body to compensate and put more stress on other areas of your spine. This can lead to more pain and discomfort.
Chiropractic adjustments are a gentle, non-invasive way to improve mobility in your neck. It works by restoring the normal position of your spine and allowing the joints and muscles in your neck to work properly.
Eases muscle tension and spasms.
Chiropractic care can help with neck pain by adjusting the vertebrae in the neck, which can relieve muscle tension and spasms.
Chiropractors are trained to diagnose and treat all conditions of the musculoskeletal system, including the spine, joints and extremities. They use a variety of techniques, but manipulation is one of the most common methods used to treat neck pain.
The muscles in your neck support your head and spine and keep them aligned properly. When these muscles are tight or strained, they can cause stress on the nerves in your neck and head. Chiropractors can help relieve this pressure by gently manipulating your vertebrae back into place. The adjustment also encourages better circulation through the area as well as improved nerve function.
Increases blood flow to your spine and discs.
When you step on the gas pedal in your car, what happens? The car goes faster, right? What happens if you step on the gas pedal with no resistance? Nothing — the car stays at the same speed.
It’s the same way with your body. When something puts pressure on your spine (like sitting), it restricts the amount of blood flowing through your veins and arteries. Chiropractic adjustments remove this pressure from your vertebrae so that more blood can get through and provide oxygen to all parts of your body. Chiropractors often focus on this aspect of treatment because it offers fast results when dealing with back pain or any other condition that may be caused by poor circulation throughout the body.
Removes pressure from compressed nerves.
Chiropractic care focuses on removing pressure from compressed nerves by manipulating the joints of the spine. A chiropractor will examine your spine to find any places where there is subluxation or misalignment of bones. They may then perform a gentle adjustment using their hands or an instrument such as a small hand tool called an activator.
If you experience frequent neck pain, chiropractic care may be just what you need to relieve your symptoms and get back to living life without pain!
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Story From Dr. Matthew Phinney
Dr. Phinney happened on a career in Chiropractic, while on a rugby tour to New Zealand, he injured two discs in his neck during a match. The damage was so severe he was ruled out of any competition by team Doctors, and told that his career as a rugby player was essentially over. The limited ability of conventional medicine to understand and treat his injury left a strong impression on him.A chiropractor was able to help him later to restore function in his body, and get him back into competition. It was then Dr. Phinney decided to pursue a career in healthcare.
Tiffany is a Medical Student and also works as a fitness coach in part-time. She is also a writer and writes on health and fitness articles. Tiffany loves to engage with users and help them provide various useful information on General Health. She provides researched-based information and also featured on various blogs and magazines.