• Poor posture
• A trauma, like a hard fall or an accident
• Poor lifestyle habits, like smoking
• Muscular imbalance
• Aging
Chiropractors are the recommended source of treatment. Their techniques- not only for neck pain, but also for low-back pain, shoulder pain and sports injuries- have been seen to be more effective than simply taking drugs to make the pain go away. In a study by the Annals of Alternate Medicine, it was observed that among chiropractic treatment, drugs, and gentle exercising, chiropractic worked best, followed by exercises. Treatment involving drugs had a success rate of only 38 percent, compared to chiropractic’s 57 percent.
Slouching and sitting with a bent back to stare at your computer at your workstation are two of the most common causes of neck pain. In fact, almost all neck pain cases are due to poor posture. Trauma, on the other hand, is usually in the form of an accident. Many cases are car crashes where the patient has had a case of whiplash, where the neck is jerked back or to the side suddenly. This coupled with an existing case of poor posture can make things very painful for the patient.
Aging leads to the degeneration of the vertebrae. The discs could lose the moisture around them making movement difficult. Alternatively, the discs could simply be degenerating due to a lot of wear and tear.
Occasionally, neck pain is the result of using the wrong pillow. In these cases, using an orthopedic pillow is recommended.
How Does a Chiropractor Treat Neck Pain?
First, the chiropractor will perform a physical examination, followed by a close study of your medical history and your lifestyle habits to get to the cause of your problem. Some of the things the chiropractor will be checking for are your reflexes, an analysis of your posture and so on. Based on these findings, the chiropractor will come up with a treatment program.
If the problem is found to be too severe, you may be referred to a spine surgeon or a neurologist. This happens if your pain does not disappear even when the course of the treatment ends. Or if you develop new symptoms like numbness in one or both arms, excessive pain, inability to move your hands or fingers.
Treatment for neck pain involves applying pressure to the affected area. This is usually done by sharply snapping the neck to move the vertebrae back to its original position. This is referred to as the cervical manipulation technique. The treatment could also include massages and prescribed neck and shoulder exercises.
There is a certain amount of risk involved with the cervical manipulation technique, but then risk is a part of all modes of treatment, regardless of whether it is mainstream medicine or alternate medicine.
This article was written by Son Wilkes, on behalf of Alpha-Chiropractic, a dynamic chiropractic duo who treat neck pain, low back pain and every other pain you have. For more information on chiropractic, visit Wikipedia.
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