Even simple activities like driving and getting dressed can be a struggle when dealing with neck pain. If this discomfort persists or if it increases in intensity, you may need to schedule an appointment with the doctor. But which doctor should you see? Although your general practitioner can certainly prescribe pain relieving medications, a chiropractic doctor can actually determine the cause of your neck pain, and resolve it.
Chiropractors encourage movement for combating soreness. They also take a more targeted and needs-specific approach to resolving the musculoskeletal issues that lead to joint pain, joint dysfunction, and joint stiffness. By working with a chiropractor, it’s possible to get fast-acting and all-natural relief. It’s also possible to prevent your neck pain from recurring.
Most minor problems at the neck will gradually self-resolve. Even when people have whiplash, conventional doctors usually recommend bed rest, and they frequently offer prescription-strength pain relievers. Together, these strategies reduce inflammation and swelling, and they give the affected structures the opportunity to recover. While conventional doctors and chiropractors share the same goal of promoting wellness, chiropractors take a very different approach.
The therapies and other services that chiropractors offer are aimed at expediting natural healing. They use techniques for:
- Expediting blood flow and oxygen delivery to the injured area
- Restoring spinal alignment
- Supporting the performance of the immune system
- Reducing stress on structures surrounding the injury
Working with a chiropractor is an excellent way to hasten your return to good health. It also provides access to a vast range of non-habit-forming and non-invasive techniques for naturally resolving the common causes of neck pain.
Common Causes of Neck Pain and How Chiropractors Help
Neck pain can be caused by a variety of different things. For many people, poor posture and prolonged used of electronic devices are top contributors. If you spend hours each day working at a desk, not having the right ergonomic equipment, and constantly craning your neck to accommodate an insufficient screen height may be placing undue stress on your neck. If you use your mobile phone for hours at a time, tipping your head forward to view the screen could be the cause of your issue. In instances such as these, taking pain medications and relaxing for a few days might relieve your immediate discomfort. However, as soon as you resume your former habits, your neck pain will recur.
When you work with a chiropractor, all of your life habits will be carefully assessed. Chiropractors can make needs-specific recommendations for ergonomic equipment and screen heights, and they can also suggest special exercises and stretches for postural correction. Changing how you do things can have a tremendous impact on how your neck, back, and even your shoulders feel and function. More often than not, making simple lifestyle adjustments is enough to correct this issue.
While waiting for the effects of lifestyle adjustments to manifest, chiropractic patients can also take advantage of natural pain-relieving therapies such as:
- Therapeutic massage
- Inversion
- Acupuncture
- Acupressure
- Ultrasound therapy
These and other therapies can be used to alleviate existing inflammation and swelling, reduce discomfort, and increase overall range of motion. After just a single office visit, many people find that supporting the head, turning the head, and completing simple activities like driving or getting dressed are significantly easier.
Another very common cause of neck pain is whiplash. Whiplash can occur any time a moving body is quickly brought to a stop, and the head rocks back and forth as a consequence. This frequently occurs during jarring, impact events such as automobile accidents. However, people who play full-contact sports and those who’ve been in slip and fall accidents can develop whiplash as well. With whiplash, chiropractic care can be an effective, standalone solution to neck pain. It can also be used in conjunction with any treatments that a person’s primary doctor has prescribed.
The goal of chiropractic care for motion-related injuries such as whiplash is to support and expedite the body’s own natural healing processes. Chiropractors frequently use hands-on methods such as spinal adjustment therapy to restore alignment, promote better blood flow, and alleviate pain and inflammation. All patients receive customized treatment plans, and most whiplash treatments are multi-pronged. Whiplash treatment can include manual adjustments, massage, recommendations for lifestyle changes, and more. Combined, these services will allow for the swiftest return to good health. Best of all, they can often prevent neck pain from recurring. To find out more about the benefits of receiving chiropractic care or to set up a consultation, get in touch with us today by calling 205-637-1363.
