Avoiding Neck Pain With Chiropractic Care
Neck pain affects millions of individuals every year. Whether neck pain is acute or chronic, statistics show that approximately 80% of adults are affected by some kind of neck pain condition. The neck supports the entire weight of your head, it allows you to move your head in a wide range of directions, and provides you with flexibility. It is precisely because of these functions and the location of the neck, that it can be quite prone to pain and injury. If for any reason a person begins to experience neck pain, daily activities begin to suffer, as does the overall quality of life.
Neck pain can be caused in a variety of ways including: injuries to the neck itself; car accidents (often resulting in whiplash); osteoarthritis; spinal stenosis; poor sleeping position; and even wear and tear from poor posture over time. You can damage, injure, or “pinch” a nerve in a variety of ways: overstretching the nerve, constricting the nerve, or compressing it. Direct neck injuries or car accidents usually over stretch the nerves. Disc protrusion or spinal stenosis can constrict the nerves. Osteoarthritis with boney growths will compress the nerves.
Common symptoms of neck nerve injury include neck pain and stiffness, headaches, pain radiating down the arms, numbness and tingling from the shoulders to the hands, and/or muscle weakness. It can also affect the nerves that control your balance, which can lead to clumsiness or tendency to fall. Symptoms vary, depending on the location of the problem in the cervical region. When symptoms do occur, they often start gradually and worsen over time.
Treatment of neck pain depends on the cause. For the vast majority of people, neck pain can be treated conservatively. Recommendations which may help alleviate symptoms include applying heat or cold. Other common treatments could include medication, body mechanics training, ergonomic reform, or physical therapy. When there is a specific condition causing chronic neck pain, individuals usually start on the conservative end of the treatment spectrum and work their way to the surgical end of the spectrum.
Chiropractic care is a conservative approach. It is also a very successful approach to neck pain. In many cases, doctors of chiropractic will recommend neck adjustments (also referred to as cervical manipulation). This is a very precise procedure that is done by hand and applied to the joints of the neck. Neck adjustments help to restore range of motion, increase spine mobility, and improve normal spinal curves and posture. Patients who undergo such treatments often note a reduction of neck pain, stiffness, and a better ability to turn and move the head.
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