Neck Pain Treatment

Chiropractic care has been shown to relieve acute neck pain and improve range of motion, and can be effectively combined with other non-invasive treatments.

Chiropractic care for neck pain

The anatomy of the neck is complex, and includes cervical vertebrae, ligaments, muscles, and nerves, but also blood vessels, lymphatic and other structures.

Pain can be characterised as sharp, dull, pinching, electric-shock like, or patients may present with stiffness & restricted movement along with pain. Neck pain can be debilitating and affect your work, sleep, and day-to-day activity such as exercise, family time, and driving.

Neck structures are also directly responsible for causing certain types of headaches.

Chiropractic care has been shown in a 2021 review to effectively treat acute neck pain, and was also found to reduce the likelihood of filling an opioid prescription by half.^1,2

Adjustment of the cervical spine does have some (rare) risks, which will be explained to you before treatment, but if you are uncomfortable with the idea of adjustment, or just don’t like the sensation, other gentle forms of treatment can be used instead which will still benefit.

1. Chaibi A, Stavem K, Russell MB. Spinal Manipulative Therapy for Acute Neck Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials. J Clin Med. 2021;10(21):5011. 2. Whedon JM, Toler AWJ, Kazal LA, Bezdjian S, Goehl JM, Greenstein J. Impact of Chiropractic Care on Use of Prescription Opioids in Patients with Spinal Pain. Pain Med. 2020;21(12):3567-3573. doi:10.1093/pm/pnaa014

Causes of neck pain include

Muscular tension
Muscle sprains/strains
Ligamental injury
Degenerative joint disease
Disc injury

It is essential for your chiropractor to conduct a thorough history & examination before commencing any treatment to rule out serious causes and determine the root of the problem.

Factors playing a role in neck pain include

Office jobs & poor ergonomics (prolonged poor posture)
Repetitive movement
Poor pillow support
Insufficient exercise (weak musculature)
Stress
Strenuous activity

Our Chiropractic Treatments

Soft tissue therapy

Active release technique (ART) – applying pressure while the patient moves the affected area;
Pin & stretch – applying pressure to a specific point and then adding static stretch;
Instrument-assisted soft tissue therapy (IASTM) – scraping tools which break up fibrous muscular adhesions
Trigger point release.

Adjustment

This creates movement in the restricted joint in order to improve range of motion and mobility in that joint. One of the most common restricted joints are the cervical facet joints, which can impair your ability to move the neck in different planes. Adjustment, done safely and in combination with soft tissue therapy, significantly increases neck range of movement and tends to make a positive impact to day-to-day activity (like looking over your shoulder when driving).

Cupping

We use silicone cups applied to the affected muscle. Certain movements are performed by the patient with the cups in place which creates suction that stimulates blood flow in these areas.

Mobilisation & gentle traction

This includes movement of joints through their range without reaching the point of adjustment. Gentle traction, done safely, helps release the muscles at the base of the skull, which are notorious for causing persistent headaches.

Exercise

Strengthening weak musculature, not just of the neck but surrounding structures, will reduce neck pain. Why? The head weighs around 5kg. The more flexed your neck is (the more you look down at your phone), the more likely you are to have neck pain.³ Strengthening the surrounding muscles makes this task easier.

3. Namwongsa S, Puntumetakul R, Neubert MS, Boucaut R. Effect of neck flexion angles on neck muscle activity among smartphone users with and without neck pain. Ergonomics. 2019;62(12):1524-1533. doi:10.1080/00140139.2019.1661525

Suffering from Neck pain?

Speak to the team today and see how we can help you with your neck pain.

Follow Us