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Neck Pain
Consulting a chiropractor for neck pain might seem obvious to a patient who
has experienced chiropractic and who associates an adjustment with the
release of tension, increased motion, and pain relief.
For others, chiropractic treatment of the neck brings to mind a different
picture. What could be the benefit of 'popping' the bones in the neck? When
family doctors are asked about neck manipulation, they often visualize an
abrupt twisting of the neck and are apt to sound a note of alarm when a
patient seeks chiropractic care for a cervical injury.
Similar to medical doctors, chiropractors use diagnostic indicators to
differentiate types of neck problems. How these indicators are used and what
occurs during a cervical adjustment will help to increase awareness of the
indications and limitations of chiropractic care for neck conditions.
Chiropractic offers a unique and valuable mechanical approach to a wide
range of cervical problems. Chiropractors do not 'twist' the neck or perform
painful maneuvers. Manipulation or adjusting as performed by chiropractors
is a precise and gentle therapy whose aim is to return motion to restricted
spinal joints and to improve the overall mechanics of the spine.
What is neck pain?
- Pain in the neck
can be due to injury, a mechanical or muscular problem, a trapped nerve
caused by a bulge in one of the discs between the vertebrae, or from
arthritis of the neck.
- It can range
from very mild discomfort to severe, burning pain.
- If the pain is
'acute' - sudden and intense - it is called a crick in the neck, facet
syndrome or muscular rheumatism.
- If the pain has
lasted more than three months, it is termed 'chronic' neck pain.
- Neck pain is a
very common condition and is more frequently seen in women than men.
- Most people will
experience pain in the neck at some point in their life.
How is
neck pain treated?
Acute pain at the
base of the skull may well disappear without treatment.
For short-term problems, manual treatment (chiropractic or physiotherapy)
and pain-relieving medicine are recommended.
With longer-term pain (i.e. three months or more) there is the following
choice of treatment:
- chiropractic
treatment
- intensive muscle
training
- physiotherapy.
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