Did you know?
3 out of every 20 adults have suffered from significant neck pain.
There are a variety of common neck pain causes, which can range from migraines, stress, and poor posture to arthritis, bone spurs, and scoliosis. Many times, neck pain results from compensation patterns–something else is going on in the body, which creates a structural reaction, or an overcompensation elsewhere. Additionally, neck pain can be related to musculoskeletal issues, such as fibromyalgia, a muscle strain, or a spinal fracture.
There are three ways chiropractic can help with neck pain:
Restorative Chiropractic for Neck Pain
The natural curvature of the spine, particularly in the cervical spine (the neck) is close to the surface of the body and is highly susceptible to stiffness as well as stress-induced swelling. The natural cervical curvature, if lost, can cause pain, and significantly reduce the range of motion (i.e. You may have trouble turning your head one way or the other.)
Chiropractic can help with the restoration of your natural cervical curvature through adjustments, which places the spine back in alignment. Additionally, manual traction or mechanical traction can help restore the curve of your neck. A special pillow, called PosturePump, is an inflatable device that the provider places behind the neck and inflates to help recreate the cervical curvature, as well. Range of motion can be restored through gentle adjustments that help in two ways: 1) the nervous system works better, allowing the brain to communicate properly and begin the healing process; and 2) the joints can be realigned, allowing the body to function optimally.
Think of it this way: if a hinge is broken, the door will never swing properly. The hinge must be fixed, so the door can function the right way. Your neck is much the same–if your spine is out of alignment, your neck can’t possibly function (or turn) properly.
Neck Pain Management with Chiropractic
Sometimes, it’s all you can do to get through the day with your pain; you can barely think of anything else. With neck pain, it can be a struggle to sit at the desk, turn your head, or even lay down to sleep. When your neck pain impacts your regular life, pain management should be considered, in tandem with restorative and preventative methods.
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https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2015/041.pdf
Chiropractic can help manage pain by reducing the tightness of your muscles, and aid in minimizing the swelling that results from stress. When your body (or you) are under stress, you may feel the tension along the trapezius muscles, and up through your neck. The vibracussor, a handheld device that vibrates to mimic deep tissue massage, helps blood flow and stimulates muscle healing.
Muscular tightness is addressed with massage therapy, which is available on site in the clinic. This helps with the functionality of your muscles, so that when you go in for an adjustment, your muscles are relaxed, with less tension, allowing for ease of adjustment.
Preventative Chiropractic Care for the Neck
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” -Benjamin Franklin
If you’ve found that you’ve avoided neck pain so far, it would be good to continue down that pain-free path, right? Or, if you’ve had neck pain in the past, treating it and preventing additional pain would be ideal. Neck pain can cause migraines and headaches, which can leave you at home, out of the office, and struggling to go through your everyday activities.
Chiropractic can help prevent these migraines and/or headaches by determining if your body is out of alignment, correcting posture problems, or helping solve other issues that can contribute to neck pain, like TMJ. TMJ can create tension that goes down the muscles around your neck, causing pain during eating, talking, or even after waking up from clenching your jaw all night.
Appointments for Neck Pain Patients
When treating a patient with neck pain, our providers always follow a pattern for proper diagnostics:
With each part of the holistic process, they will look for anything out of the ordinary that could be contributing to your pain, working to treat the whole patient, and not just your symptoms or pain.
When the neck is gently adjusted, it creates proper spacing between vertebrae and allows for nerves to function properly, without impediment. When treating new or returning patients, the whole patient is treated, and the questionnaires and assessments are there to give our providers a full picture of your health.
Our providers also know that patients requiring neck treatment at a chiropractor may have questions about the process, or have reservations about having their neck adjusted. Our office only uses gentle handheld instruments for adjusting, so there is no twisting, turning or cracking of the neck. The patient lays on the table, and the provider places and uses the Arthrostim tool precisely and carefully so the neck can be adjusted safely. You can read more about Shephard Chiropractic Clinic’s method of controlled force adjusting in our blog.
Conclusion
Restoration, pain management, and prevention are all key areas that Shephard Chiropractic Clinic can help you with your neck pain. No matter how much neck pain you may be experiencing, it’s worth a chiropractic appointment, to determine how we may be able to help you.
Copyright @ 2023 Shephard Chiropractic Clinic — 2323 NW Flanders St, Portland OR 97210 — (503) 223-3826
