How Chiropractors Can Address Neck and Back Pain
Chiropractors are trained to treat musculoskeletal problems, such as neck pain. They also offer lifestyle guidance that can reduce the risk of recurrence.
A key treatment technique is a spinal manipulation or adjustment. This involves manually applying a controlled force to joints in the spine for proper alignment.
Research suggests this can decrease pain, improve mobility and reduce the need for medication.
Spinal Adjustments
Spinal adjustments are the main technique chiropractors use to address back pain or neck pain. The technique involves a practitioner using hands or tools to apply a controlled thrust on the joints of your spine, which allows your bones to move more freely and reduces friction caused by the ends of your vertebrae grinding together.
It's crucial to get chiropractic therapy if you have symptoms like numbness, tingling, or weakness in your arms or hands since these might be signs of a pinched nerve, which can lead to neck discomfort. By releasing pressure on your nerves, a cervical manipulation (a physical neck adjustment) may help reduce this pain.
In addition to spinal manipulation, chiropractors can offer adjunctive therapies such as ultrasound, ice, heat, and electrical stimulation. These treatments can provide symptomatic relief while accelerating your recovery from a back injury.
Massage
Sprains in the soft tissues of the neck and shoulders can result in neck discomfort. This might happen due to improper sleeping habits, bad posture while using digital gadgets or while sitting down, vehicle accidents, or sports-related injuries.
Using massage treatment, which manipulates the body's muscles and soft tissues to release tension, a chiropractor can aid. This can assist with the condition's discomfort, swelling, and other symptoms.
Chiropractors also can use spinal manipulation, which uses movement and pressure to manipulate the spine. This can alleviate the strain on nerves and other structures and improve posture. They can also use acupuncture, which uses needles to relieve pain, and trigger point injections, which relieve muscle spasms. These techniques are effective in many studies.
Nutritional Guidance
A healthy spine requires a well-balanced diet. A chiropractor can help you make dietary changes to improve your spinal health.
A chiropractor may recommend increasing calcium and vitamin D intake. They can suggest foods that contain these nutrients, such as milk, yogurt, cheese, and some fortified breakfast cereals. They can also advise you on increasing the fiber in your diet through wholemeal and whole grain bread (2 slices=6g), beans, fruit with skin, psyllium, vegetables, or reduced-fat yogurt.
A chiropractor can also advise you on how to reduce inflammation in the body, which some foods and drinks might exacerbate. They can also recommend a healthy water intake to help with dehydration, which might increase pain levels.
Exercise Routines
The back is a complex structure of bones, muscles, and nerves that runs from the shoulders to the hips. Painful back issues can develop for a variety of reasons. Whether the issue is spinal misalignment, neck dysfunction, or tightened muscles and trigger points, chiropractic treatment can help.
For example, poor posture – often due to hours spent using digital devices – can lead to muscle imbalances and joint dysfunction. Chiropractors are trained to identify these imbalances and provide stretches and exercises to ease discomfort and prevent future problems.
Exercises such as shoulder shrug and turning the head slowly to each side may help reduce discomfort, increase the range of motion, and improve strength. These exercises can also be used with other treatments, such as acupuncture or trigger point injections, to provide comprehensive relief.
Stress Reduction
Chiropractors take a holistic approach to patient care and can offer guidance on lifestyle factors influencing neck pain, such as stress and anxiety. This can include instruction on performing deep breathing exercises and meditation to help patients manage their stress levels.
A chiropractor will complete a physical exam to diagnose and treat neck or back pain. This will involve observing your posture, movement, physical condition, and feeling the spine and its curvature. They may also test reflexes and feel for muscle spasms and other nerve changes.
