How Chiropractic Relieves Neck Pain

If you have pain in any part of your body, it can range from uncomfortable to downright debilitating. In the case of your neck, any degree of irritation can impede your ability to function. Because of this, it is important that you learn about how chiropractic relieves neck pain so that you can find the assistance you need.

When you first visit a chiropractor, you should take along medical records that relate to your neck pain. This includes any medical history that outlines the description and symptoms of your condition by another physician. For instance, whether the pains are sharp or dull, throbbing or steady can provide valuable information to your chiropractor. If you don't have any previous history, no worries! Any previous information can generally help, but it is not necessary. 

If you have had any x-ray images taken, try to bring a copy in of the latest reports if possible. If you do not have any, that is okay also because the chiropractor is trained to diagnose your condition without the x-ray images. If he/she feels an x-ray exam would benefit you, this can either be performed on-site or refer you to a radiology clinic off-site.

Depending on the chiropractor’s approach, a typical first visit includes an initial consultation, examination and x-rays or other imaging like computerized spinal scans (Surface emg). Your chiropractor will let you know specifically what is causing the pain, if he/she can help you and what the recommendations for treatment would be. 

More than likely the main reason you booked the appointment is to get help with that pain in your neck. With that being said, most chiropractors won’t leave you hanging. They’re compassionate to your pain. In other words, they’ll administer some form of pain relief the same day as your initial visit to get the healing process going.

Chiropractors are pain relief specialists. They typically have many pain relief tools in their tool box. Depending on your local chiropractor they may administer any of the following pain relief methods for neck pain:

• Ice 
• Light soft tissue work using a topical analgesic like BioFreeze® or Medistik
• Deep soft tissue work like Active Release Techniques (ART)
• Interferential therapy, electrical muscle stimulation and/or other physical therapy modalities like ultrasound
• Laser therapy like Bioflex or Litecure which are both very effective for pain relief
• Heat (if the condition isn’t acute)
• Stretching
• Mobilization and adjusting
• Flexion/Distraction or Decompression therapy tables. 

Additionally, your local chiropractor may make pain relief recommendations that you can use back home to help reduce your neck pain until your next visit. These typically include the proper use of ice or heat, some stretches or exercises as well as the administration of a topical analgesic like BioFreeze® or Medistik.

During your subsequent visit, a detailed treatment plan will be presented to you if your chiropractor believes he or she can help correct the problem. If so, be consistent with the treatment plan your diagnosis warrants so that your neck pain is not only relieved but corrected.

Remember, your local chiropractor is not only concerned about relieving your neck pain but even more concerned about finding and fixing the cause of the problem. Misalignments of the spine (aka vertebral subluxations) don’t just happen over night (unless there is some form of blunt force that caused it). So correcting these subluxations through multiple chiropractic adjustments may take time, even when the pain disappears. When it comes to your health, it is typically a process that takes time and not just an event that months or years of neglect can be reversed in one visit. Sometimes if caught early results can be achieved quickly but if it has been a chronic problem for a while it may take a bit of time to heal. Patience is key and the important thing is for the patient to stay the course. Relief is on its way!

Regardless, when people are experiencing neck pain, it can diminish their quality of life. It becomes difficult to perform regular tasks such as driving. Visiting a chiropractor and allowing them to treat the area is a smart choice. These professionals have undergone extensive training in their field and are capable of treating neck pain safely & effectively. So if you or a loved one are experiencing neck pain, give us a call (250) 382-7246. We’re here to help!