Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Neck Pain - Is Chiropractic The Right Treatment?

By Philip Vincent

When considering going to a chiropractor about your neck pain, it is first important to keep a few things in mind. The chiropractic practice began with the intent of only working with spine and back related problems, and while many instances of neck pain may be related to back misalignment, many others are not.

While low in its risk, a chiropractic neck manipulation may carry some additional risks if done improperly. A chiropractor should perform a thorough physical examination that can range from pinching or severing of the major blood vessels in the area or even stroke.

Chiropractors clearly understand the risks involved in performing any spinal manipulation, especially to the neck, and only perform this procedure when it is the right treatment for the patient. The doctor of chiropractic will learn the patient's case history and perform a physical, orthopedic, and neurological examination before performing any treatment. When spinal manipulation goes wrong, it's often the result of an untrained, non-chiropractor attempting to perform the treatment.

Many conditions, including headaches, neck pain, and numbness and tingling in the arms, can be related back to the neck. The benefits of a specific cervical adjustment can mean the end to a lifetime of chronic problems, so people readily seek out chiropractic treatment only after they've exhausted more traditional methods of relief including medications and injections.

Chiropractic adjustments can be just the thing for neck pain. Many times this neck pain may be caused by tension or posture issues which can be fixed in one or two visits with a skilled practitioner, even if it has been chronic. Because chiropractic can change, or reset the way a person carries their skeletal frame, this may also correct how they deal with the tension they carry around in their muscles and whether that translates itself into back or neck pain or not.

If you are concerned about whether chiropractic is right for you, you can set up a consult with a chiropractor or consider seeing your general practitioner first if you know of something in your personal medical history that you think might be a problem. He or she can help determine if chiropractic care is right for your problem, or if other treatment options would be more suitable for your problem. You can also seek out the help of friends, family members, or co-workers that have had a good experience with a chiropractor.

The chiropractic doctor may determine that a radiographic examination (x-ray) of the neck and maybe the entire spine after performing an examination. The chiropractor may then recommend treatment that includes massage, heat, cold therapy, ultrasound, and electric stimulation in addition to the spinal adjustments. The additional therapies complement the main treatment; the spinal adjustment. - 14130

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