Can Chiropractic Help with Neck Pain?
Neck pain is one of the most common complaints among adults, with about one out of every three people having neck pain at least once in a year.[1] That means almost 10,000 people in Highland Park alone have had neck pain in the last year. And if you’re one of them, you know how disruptive it can be to everyday life, work, and the activities you love.
If you’re struggling with a pain in your neck and frustrated that you can’t get it to go away, or it keeps on returning, you should ask yourself, can you receive chiropractic help with neck pain?
Let’s take a look at some of the common causes of your neck pain and what a chiropractor can do for you.
What causes neck pain?
Anything from muscle strains, worn joints, compressed nerve, to injuries can cause pain in your neck, and also your shoulders. Here are some more specific problems that may be causing your neck pain:
Headache and migraine neck pain.
Neck pain can start before a migraine and for many people lasts throughout. It’s debatable whether the neck pain is a cause for the migraine or headache, or if it’s a symptom of one.[2]
Sinus infection.
Can a sinus infection cause neck and shoulder pain? The answer is yes. Sinus infection neck pain can occur when the sphenoid sinus cavity (located behind the eye) is inflamed.[3]
Allergies.
If a sinus infection can cause neck pain, can allergies cause neck pain as well? Just like with your sinuses, allergies can cause congestion in the sphenoid sinus, causing neck pain. Consistent coughing and sneezing can also cause neck pain due to muscle tension.
Car accidents and other trauma.
Neck pain after car accidents is common due to whiplash, causing muscle strain in the neck and stretching or tearing of ligaments or tendons. Other types of trauma can cause neck pain as well, resulting in misalignments of the cervical spine or herniated discs. Sometimes these traumas happen early on in life and you may even be unaware they exist. Unfortunately, these traumas from earlier in life can show up later as pain, including neck pain.
Dental problems.
You may be wondering how your mouth is related to your neck. Can a toothache cause neck pain? How so? Can wisdom teeth cause neck pain? Toothaches can cause neck pain if the tooth is infected. The pain can radiate through the entire jaw and neck. This is also true for the wisdom teeth if there’s an infection.
Stress and Anxiety.
Stress and anxiety neck pain is common. As stress builds and anxiety gets high, your muscles tense up, causing pain in your neck.
Work position.
You may be getting neck or shoulder pain from sitting at the computer for too long or sitting improperly. Sitting for too long can tense up your muscles around your neck and shoulders causing pain. Sitting the wrong way, such as holding your phone with your ear to your shoulder, for example, could also be the cause of your neck pain.
Sleep position.
If you’ve ever wondered how to get rid of neck pain from sleeping wrong, you’re not alone. Waking up with neck pain because of your sleep position is a common problem.
What does this have to do with chiropractic care? Are you still wondering how to get chiropractic help with neck pain? Keep reading to find out how.
All of these possible causes for your neck pain have something in common, the neck. Your neck is part of your spine, made up of vertebrae that stack up on top of each other and hold up your head.
Not only does your neck have the responsibility of holding up your head, but it also has another important job: it houses the nerves that run through it. These nerves send messages from your brain to the rest of your body. Any misalignment in the neck can put pressure on these nerves and cause you pain. And who can fix misalignments in the spine? A chiropractor.
Neck Pain Doctor or Chiropractor?
If you have seen a doctor for neck pain, you may have had some x-rays or other imaging tests, and you may have never found out why you have neck pain. There’s a good chance that if you are having pain, you are on some kind of prescription pain killer or over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever.
Maybe you have considered a chiropractor for neck pain and headaches. Or maybe you’re wondering, is massage or chiropractic better for neck pain?
A massage may help relieve some muscle tension and you may feel better temporarily. But unless you find the cause of your pain and do something to fix it, the pain will most likely return.
This is where a chiropractor comes in.
Is there chiropractic help for neck pain?
The short answer is yes. Chiropractors that specialize in BioPhysics are experts in finding out the cause of your pain and fixing it, so your body can work optimally and have lasting results.
What can a chiropractor do for neck pain?
Once you make your appointment, you’ll first get an assessment of the posture, alignment, and function of your spine. You’ll most likely get an x-ray to help to identify the source of your pain.
Once the source of your pain is determined, you will get a treatment plan that is specific to your needs. You may be given exercises to do at home, regular chiropractic adjustments, and spinal remodeling (traction).
The goal with this process is to not only give you immediate and temporary pain relief but to correct your spine, relieving pressure off those nerves in your neck. When you do this, messages flow from your brain to your body uninterrupted, and you get lasting pain relief.
If you’re in Highland Park or surrounding areas, Align Wellness Center is here to help your neck pain go away for good. Call us to schedule an appointment at (847) 564-9500 or book an appointment online.
We are located at 900 Skokie Blvd., Suite 113, Northbrook, IL 60062.
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK338120/
[2] https://thejournalofheadacheandpain.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s10194-018-0851-5
[3] https://www.health.harvard.edu/a_to_z/acute-sinusitis-a-to-z