About the condition: Pain located in the neck is a common medical condition and one that chiropractors see on a very regular basis. Neck pain can come from a number of disorders and diseases of any tissues in the neck, such as degenerative disc disease, neck strain, whiplash, a herniated disc, or a pinched nerve. Neck pain is also referred to as cervical pain. Depending on the cause, neck pain may be accompanied by neurologic symptoms such as tingling, numbness or pins and needles into one or both of the arms.
X-rays are not taken at The Guildford Spine Centre and should never be a routine part of a chiropractic examination. If required patients will be referred to have further imaging taken and the reasons for this will be explained.
Symptoms: Neck pain is commonly associated with dull aching. Sometimes pain in the neck is worsened with movement. Other symptoms associated with some forms of neck pain include numbness, tingling, tenderness and sharp shooting pain into the arms. Due to the many causes of neck pain there is a wide variety of presentations and this is something Alex will examine thoroughly with you.
Treatment: Initially, short term musculoskeletal pain is treated with:
Analgesics
Heat and cold
Spinal manipulation, which chiropractors specialise in, may help relieve pain caused by muscle spasm or an acute neck or back injury.
“Often, initially with acute (short term) neck pain, ice and painkillers will help settle the pain however it will take time. Chiropractic treatment is aimed at trying to speed this process up and reduce the period of time that you are in pain and, in most cases, it is very effective. After we have settled the pain it is again a job of rehabilitating the neck and keeping it healthy and making sure the problems don’t come back” explains Dr Alex.
“If you have suffered a new episode, recurrent episodes, or have had long-term neck problems you need to think to yourself, why is this happening and what is causing these problems. That is where chiropractic can help not just short term pain relief but long term optimal health.”
