Charleston Chiropractic Associates

TREATING NECK PAIN WITH CHIROPRACTIC CARE

Neck pain is a common problem among Americans. You have it more often if your work requires you to stay in one position for an extended period. People with desk jobs are usually the ones with issues in the neck and back. Pain relievers are potent, but they give you short-term relief.

Treating Neck Pain With Chiropractic Care

Patients usually want long-term comfort. This is when chiropractic care comes into view. The American Chiropractic Association sees the importance of chiropractic care for cervical pain. If you want to understand how chiropractic care treats this pain, here’s what you should know.

Accurate Diagnosis

Before any treatment begins, your chiropractic specialist will assess your spine first. This is to see if the lower parts of your spine have the same problem. The extensive health examination reveals the specific cause of your cervical pain. Expect a check of your posture, past medical history, and medications. Your chiropractor will determine if your cervical spine needs surgery or not. If it does, you will receive a referral for a specialist. Your chiropractor can also help you with lifestyle goals, nutrition, and stress management.

Manual Manipulation

Below are the manual manipulations that your chiropractor can use:

  • Trigger point therapy. This is a method that involves pressing and rubbing on your trigger points. It involves dry needling, which “stabs” stress points by using acupuncture needles.
  • Manual resistance and joint stretching. By helping your muscles and joints stretch, the pain disappears.
  • Therapeutic massage therapy (TMT). When your soft tissue experiences movement, its functional use returns. TMT can help with musculoskeletal issues, such as neck pain.
  • Instrument-assisted soft tissue therapy. Various therapeutic instruments are effective in diagnosing and treating tense muscles.

Spinal Manipulation

The following are the common spinal manipulation techniques for your neck pain:

  • Specific spinal manipulation. This method uses hands or a device to apply a restrained thrust to a specific joint in your spine. The force makes your joint move more than it could in a normal way.

  • Flexion-distraction. This involves gentle pumping manipulation on your affected intervertebral disc.

  • Instrument-assisted manipulation. With this technique, your chiropractor uses a special instrument to apply indirect force into your spine.

Cervical Manipulation

Neck adjustments apply precise pressure to your neck joints. Chiropractors use their hands to restore your neck’s ROM (range of motion). These adjustments also enhance your cervical spine’s mobility. Cervical manipulation can help neighboring muscles, such as your shoulder or back muscles. You can experience less pain, stiffness, and soreness after this treatment.

Other Chiropractic Therapies

Your chiropractic specialist can also use ultrasound and inferential electronic stimulation. With ultrasound, sound waves penetrate deep into your affected muscle tissues. Your chiropractor can use inferential electronic stimulation to relieve your pain. In this method, gentle electric currents stimulate your affected neck muscles.

Every case of neck pain is different. Your chiropractic professional will create a treatment plan that fits your needs. At Charleston Chiropractic Associates, optimal health is achievable through chiropractic methods. Please visit our clinic in West Ashley, South Carolina, for an in-person consultation. You can call us at (843) 225-4357. That way, we can help you schedule an appointment. We can also answer your questions about our chiropractic techniques for neck pain.