Understanding neck pain and how you could help relieve it with routine chiropractic care.
What is Neck Pain?
Acting as a bridge between your head and your torso, which allows for motion of your head, your neck is made up of seven vertebra and is supported by many muscles and ligaments. Neck pain most often occurs when the joints, muscles and ligaments in the neck become irritated or inflamed.
Neck pain can range from minor and easily ignored, to excruciating and debilitating. When combined with other symptoms it can also indicate immediate medical attention is needed. Common symptoms of neck pain include:
- Stiff neck with limited range of motion
- Concentrated sharp or stabbing pain
- General soreness or tenderness
- Radiating pain, that can eventually lead from the neck to shoulders, arms, fingers and head
Although everyone experiences neck pain now and again, it is not something that should be tolerated. Approximately 17 percent of the adult population is suffering from neck pain and discomfort at any given time. In many instances this is caused by sleeping in an abnormal position, poor posture, falling or injuries from sport or whiplash. In rare cases, it can be caused by growth abnormalities, infections, tumors and even cancer.
In any event, neck pain can be serious and should be attended to immediately.
How Can Chiropractic Care Help Those with Neck Pain?
Chiropractic care can be a great way to manage and relieve swelling and discomfort caused by neck pain. Routine chiropractic care provides patients with neck pain a safe, non-invasive, non-addictive alternative to prescription medications or over-the-counter pain medications (OTCs), which are commonly prescribed to patients to help them manage their pain and swelling.
Chiropractors deliver a gentle, non-invasive, non-addictive therapy, known as a chiropractic adjustment. Chiropractic adjustments reduce joint restrictions or misalignments in the spine and other joints in the body in an effort to reduce inflammation and improve function of both the affected joint and nervous system. By increasing joint mobility and improving your nervous system function and spinal health, your body has the ability to better manage the discomfort in the neck.
Below are some of the health benefits chiropractic care and chiropractic adjustments can provide patients with neck pain:
- Reduced pain and discomfort
- Decreased inflammation
- Improved range of motion
- Improved flexibility
- Increased activity and lifestyle
To see if chiropractic care is right for your condition, Dr. Dryer will perform a consultation, examination and if necessary, refer you out for diagnostic imaging such as x-ray or MRI. Based on the findings of our chiropractic exam and consultation, your doctor of chiropractic may elect to co-treat your neck pain with other healthcare professionals including massage therapists, physical therapists or other primary care physicians.