Chiropractic care for neck pain relief
Modern lifestyles contribute to neck pain
Whilst neck pain is slightly less common than lower back pain, it is still reported to affect almost two-thirds of adults at some point – and you only need to look as far as our modern lifestyles to understand why.
We inevitably become less and less active as more and more ‘conveniences’ are introduced to our lives. It’s highly likely that we drive to work, spend hours sitting at a desk looking down at a keyboard before driving home – and it’s increasingly typical that we spend time at home doing more of the same! Computer games, internet use and mobile phones are all lifestyle choices that encourage us to adopt a frequently unnatural posture and trust me, we all do it – even Chiropractors!
The neck is made up of 7 ‘cervical’ vertebrae, separated by discs, with nerves that radiate out from the spinal cord and reach down into the arms. All of this is supported by large, thick muscles which protect the delicate neck structure and allow a wide range of movement. The majority of neck pain is caused by tension in these muscles, joint disruption or pinched nerves. When you come and see me at Ivybridge Chiropractic Clinic I’ll help you to identify the cause of your neck pain and design a treatment plan to aid your recovery.
Now the good news…
Whilst sudden onset (acute) neck pain can undoubtedly feel debilitating, sometimes causing headaches, nausea, shoulder and arm pain, the causes are not usually serious and can be relatively easy to resolve through effective chiropractic care. Even in the event of chronic conditions like whiplash, osteoarthritis, cervical spondylitis and disc degeneration I can help to greatly reduce your recovery time and increase your comfort levels from the very first visit.
What to expect…
During your first 30/60-minute appointment, we’ll talk about the problems you’ve been experiencing, your medical history and your general wellbeing; sleep patterns, stress at work etc. Chiropractic is proven to be the most effective drug-free alternative to conventional medicine and is a holistic therapy; so we need to look at the whole person rather than just the source of your current pain.
The therapy itself is a hands-on manipulation of the spine (manual therapy) and massage of the soft tissues; realigning your bones to help your body to heal and encouraging the muscles to relax into a more natural posture. It doesn’t hurt and I’ll make sure you fully understand what I’m doing at all times. I may also be able to help by giving you some great advice on managing exercise, diet and stress to help you heal faster and prevent recurrence.
Don’t worry if you’ve never visited a Chiropractor before, I’ll talk you through each step of the treatment and make sure you feel comfortable and relaxed knowing that you’re in safe and capable hands.