What is neck pain?
All of us at some point in our lives have experienced neck pain or discomfort of some sort. So the question arises? What exactly is Neck Pain? To understand this, we first must understand what our neck comprises of. Our necks are made up from vertebrae that extend from the skull to the upper torso. Cervical discs in between the vertebrae absorb the shock between the bones.
Causes of neck pain:
Now that we have a brief knowledge of what our necks are made up of, we will now explore the different causes of neck pain. The bones, ligaments, and muscles of our neck support our head and allow for motion. Any irregularities, swelling, or damage can cause neck pain or stiffness. Apart from this poor posture can also contribute towards neck pain. Neck pain can limit our head motion. Now let’s see the causes of neck pain in some detail:
- Muscle strains: when we are hunched over our computers and mobiles, it can cause neck pain. Sometimes little things such as reading in bed or gritting your teeth can also strain your neck muscles.
- Worn joints: Neck joints can also wear down with age, causing the cartilage between our bones to deteriorate, which results in unbearable pain.
- Injuries: Auto collisions can often cause serious neck injuries. As in such collisions the head is jerked backwards and then forward which results in straining of the soft tissues of the neck.
- Various diseases: diseases like cancer, meningitis and arthritis can also cause neck pain.
When to see your doctor
Neck pain often doesn’t require any medical intervention but if it does not go away after a few days contact your doctor for neck treatments. A doctor should be contacted if:
- It is severe
- It is persistent for several days and the intensity of the pain isn’t decreasing
- The pain spreads down your arms or legs
- The pain is accompanied by headaches, numbness, and weakness or tingling.
How can your chiropractor help?
Chiropractic has helped people of all ages from all walks of life with a variety of health issues for over a century without the use of drugs or invasive and non- invasive surgeries.
A chiropractor is a person that helps you get better focusing on the analysis and healing of neuromuscular disorders. A chiropractor mostly provides neck treatments through manual adjustments of the spine.
Chiropractor neck adjustments are called cervical manipulations, which loosen up the joints of the cervical vertebrae in the neck. These manipulations then result in the reduction of pain caused by pinched nerves, muscle spasms and strains. Chiropractic adjustments can be taken as a gentle “nudge” which helps restore better movement to the spine. A chiropractor uses various techniques and tools to adjust the spine. These adjustments can be done with hands, various types of handheld instruments, blocks that harness the effect of gravity or by other means as well but mostly chiropractors use their hands as their tools, and they manipulate the neck in such a way that they are able to place the vertebrae back into alignment.
Chiropractic adjustment refers to the process by which chiropractors apply a small, controlled and sudden force to your spinal joints. The aim of this procedure is to enhance your body’s function and improve your spinal movements. Often your chiropractor will use their hands to apply this force or in rare cases, also use a tool of some sort.
If the pain and discomfort has travelled towards the shoulders and the arms, a chiropractor can help relieve the pain by relocating the bones, which relaxes the muscles, thus reducing pressure on the nerves.
People experiencing neck pain often turn to chiropractic care for help and swear by chiropractors, saying the work those chiropractors perform not only relieves them from the pain they are experiencing, but also often addresses the source of their aches, twinges, and throbs.
Is Chiropractor intervention safe?
One might be hesitant going to a chiropractor, but licensed chiropractors can safely administer spinal adjustments to the neck. Routine visits to a chiropractor can provide you with a safe, non-invasive, non-addictive alternative to prescription medications or over-the-counter pain medications commonly prescribed to patients to help them manage their pain.
Chiropractic adjustments reduce joint restrictions or misalignments in the spine and other joints, which result in reduced inflammation and thus, improve function of both the affected joint and nervous system. Enabling your body to deal with the pain and discomfort in a more healthier way.
What do chiropractic adjustments feel like?
Chiropractic adjustments usually feel quite pleasant and relaxing. Patients often mention that not only do they move better, but that they feel more “connected” and report a pleasant sense of ease and well-being.
How long do you need to see a chiropractor for?
When you visit a chiropractor, he/she will make you a treatment plan depending on your situation. Patients suffering from neck pain that result from car accidents and other injuries such as sport or exercise will require long term treatment and care. One must keep in mind that repeated chiropractor visits are often necessary in order to achieve the desired outcomes in terms of health and well-being.
How long does the recovery take?
While everyone recovers on their own paces which depends on their tolerance, health and other factors there are some ways to ensure that you are on the right track on to recovery
- Keeping your appointments
- Drinking more water
- Being at your proper weight
- Eating healthier foods
- Appropriate exercise
- Getting sufficient sleep
- Being mindful of your posture
Conclusion
Your chiropractor will help you on your road to recovery and help devise a care plan for you and will advise and guide you on how to care for your spinal health and well-being out of the chiropractor sessions.
