Can Chiropractic Help Neck Pain?

Chiropractic Treatment for Neck Pain

Neck pain is a common ailment in modern society. It can be caused by lots of different things, from whiplash injuries due to an auto accident to “head banging” at concerts to hunched heads toiling over a hot spreadsheet all day. Our necks are very flexible, but they are easy to injure. Even something as simple as sitting with your head turned for a period of time can lead to neck pain. Fortunately, chiropractic medicine is uniquely suited for the treatment of neck pain.  Problems with the alignment of the bones of the neck can also result in other problems, most commonly headaches.

Our heads are supported by our necks, and our neck is made up of seven vertebrae called the cervical spine. Where these bones meet they form joints.  These are what a chiropractor will adjust to allow your neck to return to proper alignment. When you go in for an appointment, the chiropractor will first start by asking your medical history and whether you have a history of neck pain. Then he will perform a physical and neurological exam, and perhaps take a few X-rays.

In our office, once Dr. McDowell has assessed your condition, he will explain why you have neck pain and let you know if chiropractic care is the right treatment for your condition. He will use their hands to gently stretch the ligaments and muscles connected to these bones allowing this area to once again align correctly. Depending on the injury, they may also prescribe special exercises to aid the healing process.  Many times people are afraid of "having their neck popped," it is important to understand that their are other ways to adjust the spine.  If this is a concern for you, talk to Dr. McDowell about alternative methods of adjusting.  Don't use this as an excuse to avoid a treatment that could resolve your neck pain.

While you may experience significant improvement from a single treatment, most people will need to have several adjustments to resolve the pain, especially in a chronic case. You may have gained certain habits of movement or scar tissue in the area that can pull the bones back out of alignment between visits.  This will need to be overcome before more long-term relief can be found.  Repeated adjustments will retrain the muscles and ligaments of the area and allow the bones to resume their normal alignment.

Recent studies have shown that spinal adjustments and exercises are superior to medication when it comes to the treatment of neck pain. One study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that 53% of the subjects who received chiropractic reported a 75% reduction in pain even a year after the treatment was finished. Only 38% of subjects reported similar relief on pain medication alone.

Why not give chiropractic treatment a try for your neck pain? Give our office a call at 910-484-2001 to set up an appointment with our Fayetteville, NC chiropractor. There’s no reason to suffer with neck pain.