NECK PAIN TREATMENT

HISTORY

Neck pain treatment per se is not usually painful with chiropractic. Let's say candidly though that a really sore neck is much more painful than a sore back. The consultation always begins with a thorough HISTORY. Your chiropractor will ask you questions like, Where does it hurt? and When did it begin? What makes it worse, and does it run down your arm or give you headaches?

70% of the time, research shows, experienced doctors can make an a pretty shrewd diagnosis of your neck pain just from the history.

Neck pain is often caused by old injuries that caused fixations in your neck, often unknown to you. It has now been proved that these fixations slowly but surely lead to arthritis in the neck, causing stiffness, pain and perhaps tingling in the arm, long after the injury has been forgotten. Why? Because they starve the joints of vital nutrients.

Before starting the chiropractic neck pain treatment your doctor will ask searching questions that may yield important clues. So, scratch your head, dig deep, those little details can be very important. For example, if you get tingling or pain in the arm, do movements of your neck provoke the tingling? Which movement? Or is constant? Do you get relief from the tingling in your arm by placing your arm on your head?

Also important, though it occurs very rarely, has there been any change in your gait, the way you walk? Have you been stumbling, or walked unexpectedly into the doorframe?

More about tingling in arms and hands.

FROM THE COALFACE

'When did it start, Mr Jones?'

'Yesterday,' he said in a whisper.

'Do you have any idea what happened?''

'I was fine when I woke up,' he said. 'As I sat up I felt a sharp stab in my neck.' He had a stricken look on his face.

To cut a long story short, as I move to exam him, tears of doubt immediately filled his eyes. He didn't want anybody anywhere near his neck, let alone someone whom he thought might cause him great pain.

Mrs Jones spoke for the first time. 'Jerry was at Israeli judo yesterday. Do you think that could have anything to do with it?'

EXAMINATION

It will usually start with a POSTURAL ANALYSIS. The underlying root cause of your neck pain may be a flat foot, a short leg, an imbalance in the pelvis or another seemingly unrelated problem.

RANGE OF MOTION tests of neck will follow. Which movements are restricted, which cause pain? In particular, do any movements of your neck immediately cause pain or tingling in your arm, or dizziness?

Then will follow ORTHOPAEDIC and NEUROLOGICAL tests. At the heart of chiropractic is the influence that these subluxations in your neck may have, causing not only neck pain, but influencing any of the many organs innervated by nerves that emerge from tiny openings called foramina in your neck.

This will be followed by an examination of the MUSCLES in your neck and shoulders. Subluxations in your neck, as well as poor posture may cause muscular imbalances, and pain in the muscles themselves.

A MOTION PALPATION examination in the patient with neck pain is an extremely important part of chiropractic treatment. Knowing which bones in your neck to adjust, and how to adjust them, is a vital part of curing your headaches, neck pain, arm pain and in improving your general health.

While chiropractors do not make many claims about curing other 'medical' conditions, it is astonishing how many patients ask if their sinusitis, asthma, stomach pain could have been helped by the chiropractic treatment they have been receiving.

Thereafter your doctor may look for such conditions in the shoulder, arm, and elbow, and such conditions as carpal tunnel syndrome which often issue from a neck condition.

Finally, before starting your neck pain treatment, your chiropractor will do a general medical examination, checking your blood pressure, look for swollen lymph nodes, listen to your lungs, and perhaps even do a breast exam. It's always advisable to take a family member along for the first consultation. Because the nerves to the arm (the so called brachial plexus) travel close to the lungs and breast, these organs can also have an effect on your arm.

X-RAYS

A picture is worth a thousand words.

RESEARCH.

The presenting symptoms were “neck pain,” “shoulder, arm pain,” “reduced neck, shoulder, arm movement, stiffness,” “headache,” “upper, mid back pain.” If patients had one of these symptoms, 70% responded that they experienced immediate relief after chiropractic treatment. If four of these symptoms were present, then 95% stated that they had immediate relief.

With regard to immediate worsening, 4.4% stated that they felt worse.

There were no serious side effects after any of these manipulations. Worsening was of a temporary nature.

Is Chiropractic treatment painful?

Mostly there will be some loosening of the neck, mobilisation and stretching, in preparation for the manipulations. Your doctor may do some massage, may use some physiotherapeutic treatments such as dry needling, ultrasound and various electrical treatments.

The chiropractic adjustment itself may be a little frightening the first time you experience it.

Research has shown that manipulation done by an experienced chiropractor is really very safe. Far safer than the anti-inflammatories that are prescribed without undue concern. They cause thousands of deaths from bleeding ulcers every year. Literally, no exaggeration. However, like all treatments, there is an element of risk. Some pain may be experienced after the treatment, but this is usually after of a short lived nature. An ice pack placed (in a facecloth) on the painful parts will bring relief. What are the dangers of Chiropractic treatment?

What are the dangers associated with Anti-inflammatory treatment?

How many treatments?

Broadly the neck pain treatment will fall into three parts, if the condition has been present for more than six months:

1) The TREATMENT PHASE. In this phase your doctor will be dealing with the problem, reducing your pain and stiffness by adjusting the subluxated vertebrae. This will also reduce any nerve irritation or pressure that may be present.

2) The REHABILITATION PHASE, sometimes called the STABILISATION PHASE. During this phase many exercises will be given. The intention is to strengthen your neck, to prevent a relapse, and so that you won't need to come for treatment several times a week for months and months.

3) The MAINTENANCE PHASE. It is the conviction of chiropractors that an occasional, regular treatment has much benefit in preventing relapse. In this regard you will be encouraged to have an adjustment occasionally. How occasionally? That depends on your problem. Perhaps once a month, perhaps once in six months. On average perhaps every two or three months.

A REALLY PAINFUL NECK IS FAR MORE PAINFUL THAN A SORE BACK.

Nevertheless, neck pain treatment is not usually particularly painful.

Massage can be a very beneficial part of back pain treatment. Much of neck pain is simply too many hours spent at the wheel of the car, or stuck in front of a computer. An occasional but regular massage can do wonders for overworked muscles. For more information, click here.

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