Partner with Your Chiropractor to Find Neck Pain Relief and Long-Term Health
It’s always nice to hear someone say you’ve got a good head on your shoulders. But don’t forget to thank what’s holding up your head – your neck! Unfortunately, up to 80% of people will experience neck pain severe enough to interfere with daily activities during their lifetime. In fact, neck pain is the fourth leading cause of disability in the United States. So, when the structure holding up the most important part of your body (your brain!) starts to ache or sustains an injury, it’s crucial to address the pain.
Neck pain can interfere with your day-to-day work and recreational activities, and it may have a profound effect on your ability to concentrate, relax, and enjoy life. Much like that battery-powered bunny, pain keeps going and going and can get worse over time if not treated accordingly.
For many people suffering from neck pain, seeking medical treatment can be intimidating. Long waits to see your primary care doctor, only to be referred to another specialist to rule out more significant conditions with expensive tests. All the while, you remain in pain and rely on medications to help you cope until the next doctor’s appointment.
What other option do you have? Choose chiropractic!
Chiropractic: Your Path to Long-lasting Neck Pain Relief
Neck pain can be caused by various factors, including poor posture, muscle strain, injuries such as whiplash, and degenerative conditions such as osteoarthritis. Neck pain can range from mild and short-lasting to severe and chronic. It can also be accompanied by headaches, stiffness, radicular symptoms, such as tingling and numbness that extend downward into the upper extremities, and difficulty moving the neck and head.
When treating neck issues, chiropractic is an effective, conservative option that can:
- Reduce pain and stiffness
- Improve range of motion, flexibility, and posture
- Strengthen the neck and surrounding areas
- Improve musculoskeletal alignment
- Help you avoid surgery and opioids
Don’t let neck pain stand in your way. If you are experiencing neck pain, it is crucial to take action to address the source of your pain. Embracing a holistic approach to your healthcare, chiropractors can create a personalized treatment plan to diminish pain and keep you moving forward.
Common Symptoms
Neck pain can develop suddenly (from trauma or injury) or over time from natural wear and tear. Some common symptoms of neck pain include:
- Difficulty bending or rotating the neck
- Headaches
- Muscle spasms
- Nerve pain (which may feel like a burning sensation in the neck, shoulder, or arms)
- Numbness or pain in the upper back, shoulders, arms, or hands
- Sharp, localized stabbing or stinging sensations
- Stiffness and soreness
- Weakness in arms or hands
How Does Chiropractic Help Neck Pain?
Diagnosis
A chiropractor will first conduct an in-depth evaluation of your medical history, current symptoms, and lifestyle to pinpoint what’s causing your pain. They may begin by asking questions such as:
- When did you begin to experience the pain? Is the pain localized or does it radiate to other areas of your body such as your shoulders, arms, or hands?
- What is your occupation? Do you spend your days performing manual labor or do you work in front of a computer?
What are your hobbies? Are they active like gardening and swimming, or are they sedentary like watching movies or reading?
Once they understand the specific reason you’re experiencing this pain, they’ll tailor your treatment program to address the issue.
Spinal Manipulation
Chiropractors focus heavily on spinal health, using a series of manipulations to restore joint mobility, reduce inflammation, and improve muscle function. Spinal manipulation consists of manually applying pressure or force to joints and tissues that have become inflamed or restricted. This process restores the spine’s natural alignment, which may be contributing to discomfort or irregularity in your ligaments, muscles, and joints.
Your chiropractor will apply gentle force to specific segments of your cervical spine (neck) to restore its natural position. Returning your spine to its correct alignment can reduce the strain on your neck muscles, ease the neurological symptoms that could be contributing to your pain, and improve your overall movement.
Manual Therapy and Myofascial Release
This treatment identifies and releases tight points in the muscle, thereby relieving painful tension and reducing strain. Soft tissue therapy is a form of manual therapy that is commonly used among chiropractors. One form is instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, such as the Graston Technique, a myofascial release technique, which uses instruments to mobilize the affected tissue to reduce pain and increase function. This technique works by breaking down scar tissue and restricted fascia, and stretching the connective tissue to foster an optimized healing environment for the damaged tissue.
Muscle Stimulation (E-Stim)
This method uses a low-frequency electrical current to stimulate muscles to reduce inflammation, spasms, and pain.
Stretching and Strength Training
Based on your specific lifestyle, level of ability, and injury, your chiropractor will provide tailored stretches and exercises to improve the strength of your muscles in and around your neck and shoulder region. Improving flexibility and strength in the neck will decrease pain and allow you to maintain better posture, which will reduce stress on the cervical spine. They will recommend exercises that also focus on improving strength in your core and back, which is essential to supporting your body as a whole. This additional support will improve posture to help decrease pain.
Education
Understanding your pain is a crucial component in your recovery plan. The neck and spine are extremely sensitive areas, and the mechanics of the prescribed exercises can be difficult to conduct properly without expert oversight. Your chiropractor will ensure you’re correctly participating in the exercises to avoid strain and injury, and will be able to quickly adjust techniques if any are causing additional pain.
Schedule Your Chiropractic Appointment Today
Chiropractic looks at all of the causes of your neck pain by taking a detailed history, performing a thorough examination, and initiating a plan to address your existing limitations, and set you on a path to achieving optimal health and wellbeing. By addressing your neck pain this way, chiropractic can effectively reduce the discomfort, fix the underlying problem and increase your overall function.
At MCR Chiropractic, we are committed to helping you experience the transformative benefits of chiropractic care. Contact your nearest MCR office or click the button below to submit an appointment request to kickstart your healing and get back to doing what you love.
5 Reasons to Try Chiropractic Care
Life’s busy! From sunrise to sunset, the hours are filled with work, family, and (hopefully) some exercise. Who really has time to slow down for an injury? Whether you’ve noticed a new pain that makes getting out of bed a challenge, or you’re dealing with a chronic health condition that makes movement an essential part of staying well, a chiropractor can help you remain active, fit, and healthy.
Here are 5 ways chiropractic can improve your quality of life.
1. Chiropractic Helps Prevent Injury
Chiropractors are synonymous with injury recovery—but they can also help prevent injuries from happening in the first place. They’ll assess your spinal alignment and identify any imbalances in your musculoskeletal system. They’ll compare these potential complications to the frequent movements used in your favorite activities. This will help identify any underlying weaknesses that might make you susceptible to injury. They’ll target these problematic areas during their treatments to improve alignment to help prevent injury.
2. Chiropractic Improves Your Posture
Poor posture can come with some hefty consequences, such as low back pain, spinal dysfunction, and joint degeneration. Manual manipulations from your chiropractor will gently bring your musculoskeletal system back into alignment, allowing you to maintain better posture. This re-alignment will open neural pathways in your body, which will ease pain and encourage better function. They’ll also teach you proper body mechanics to use throughout the day—especially at work—to maintain good posture no matter what you’re doing.
3. Chiropractic Gets You Moving
Even if you’re already in good health and involved in a variety of activities, chiropractic can still be beneficial. Your chiropractor can help you enhance your performance and give you advice on other types of activities that can complement your lifestyle to challenge your musculoskeletal system. If you’re looking to get back into the activities you love (or simply get better at them!), your chiropractor can design a plan to help you achieve your short- and long-term goals.
4. Chiropractic Helps You Avoid Surgery
No surgery comes without risk, and lengthy recoveries can impact you physically and financially. In some cases, chiropractic can correct a problem without the need for surgery at all. Sprains, strains, dislocations, tendonitis, bursitis, arthritis, and acute/chronic pain are just a few ailments that a chiropractic can help with.
Even if surgery is imminent, working with a chiropractor beforehand can prepare your body for recovery or help delay the surgery to a time that fits better into your schedule. While surgery is sometimes unavoidable, it’s almost always better to eliminate the need for an invasive procedure if the problem can be treated with a more conservative approach.
5. Chiropractic Keeps You Balanced
As we age, we lose muscle mass, bones weaken, and balance concerns become top of mind. That doesn’t mean that falls are inevitable. In fact, with the help of a chiropractor, you can reduce the risk of falls through a comprehensive fall-prevention program.
Improving your balance can help you avoid falls that could lead to a significant injury, and help you remain independent and active. It can also improve your ability to enjoy more strenuous activities that you may not have been able to do in the past.
Take Charge and Schedule Your Evaluation
As your partner in health and wellness, our team at MCR Chiropractic is ready to help when you or a loved one needs us. To schedule an evaluation, call your nearest MCR location or request an appointment by clicking the button below.
Practice Good Posture with These Exercises
As the holiday season approaches and many of us prepare for travel to visit family and loved ones, it’s important to prioritize our physical well-being. In this month’s edition, Dr. Jackie, our Chiropractor at MCR Chiropractic – Pembroke, presents a series of stretches specifically tailored for travelers. These exercises aim to relieve muscle tension, improve flexibility, and enhance overall posture, ensuring that you can enjoy your holiday gatherings feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. Whether you’re hitting the road or taking to the skies, these simple yet effective stretches will help you stay limber and comfortable throughout your holiday travels.
Chin Tucks
What is it?
Relieve neck tension and activate/ strengthen anterior neck muscles
How to do it!
- Start with a neutral cervical spine
- Keep your head and shoulders steady, and tuck your chin in toward your neck
- Return to a neutral spine position, then repeat for 10 repetitions
Scapular Squeezes
What is it?
Relieve upper back pain/ tension, strengthen muscles between the shoulder blades, and improve posture
How to do it!
- Sit up tall with your hands resting in your lap and your head back
- Bring the shoulders back and down as if you were squeezing a pencil between your shoulder blades
- Return to a neutral posture, then repeat for 10 repetitions
Hamstring Stretch When Traveling
What is it?
Improve hip/knee/leg flexibility posture and reduce leg tension
How to do it!
- Stand beside your vehicle and place your foot on a tire or bumper
- Keep your back straight and slowly lean forward, bending only at the hips until you feel a good stretch in the back of the leg
- Hold for 15-30 seconds, then switch legs and repeat
Standing QL (Quadratus Lumborum) Stretch
What is it?
Relieve lower back discomfort and improve lumbar stability
How to do it!
- Stand with one foot in front of the other and place one hand on your vehicle for balance if needed
- Raise your opposite arm and lean/ reach toward the opposite side
- Hold for 15-30 seconds, then switch sides and repeat
Hip Flexor Lunge
What is it?
Reduce discomfort in the lower back/ hip/ groin region and improve posture
How to do it!
- Stand in a straddle position, one foot in front of the other
- Slowly lean forward onto the front foot and bend that knee, keeping your spine neutral and tall until you feel a stretch in the anterior hip region
- Hold for 15- 30 seconds, then switch sides and repeat
Chiropractors are musculoskeletal experts able to assess pain, treat dysfunction, and get to the root cause of your symptoms. Through a combination of chiropractic adjustments, manual therapy techniques, ergonomic education, and home exercises, your chiropractor will help you return to an active lifestyle with less pain and improved function.
Headache and Migraine Relief with MCR Chiropractic
Chronic headaches and migraines can be debilitating and frustrating conditions that can significantly impact a person’s quality of life. While over the counter or prescription medications can provide temporary relief, they do not address the root cause of the problem. Chiropractic, on the other hand, can be an effective treatment option for those who suffer from chronic headaches and migraines.
Chiropractic involves the use of various techniques and exercises to improve movement, mobility, and function. It can be particularly useful for people with chronic headaches as it can reduce musculoskeletal impairments and restrictions related to neck pain and re-educate you on proper posture too. Patients who seek chiropractic as a medication-free treatment for their conditions can experience decreased frequency of episodes and improved quality of life.
What Causes Headaches
One common cause of chronic headaches is muscle tension in the neck and shoulders. This tension can be caused by poor posture, stress, overuse, or weakness of certain muscles. Chiropractic can not only help to strengthen the muscles in the neck and shoulders, which can help to reduce muscle tension and lessen pain, but importantly can help to correct any misalignments in your spine that could be causing your headaches.
Another cause of chronic headaches is poor blood flow to the head and neck. This can be caused by a variety of factors, including poor posture or tension in the neck and shoulders. Chiropractic can help to improve blood flow through spinal manipulations and hands-on treatment to reduce inflammation, focused attention to posture, the proper balance of strength and mobility in musculature supporting the head and neck, and targeted exercises prescribed by your chiropractor to maintain your positive improvement and wellness.
What Causes Migraines
Migraines are a neurologic disorder that often causes a very strong headache resulting in impaired vision and sensitivity to light, nausea, and vomiting. Migraines vary significantly from person to person, with each individual migraine fluctuating in severity. Treatment provided by a chiropractor can help to decrease pain, improve mobility, and provide postural correction and training to help reduce musculoskeletal impairments from increasing a person’s predisposition to migraines.
Chiropractic Treatment for Headaches
Based on the findings of your report of findings from your initial evaluation, your chiropractor will determine the appropriate services to include in your care plan. Some individuals suffering from headaches or migraines may have other areas of concern, such as symptoms of jaw pain or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. TMJ disorders, which affect the joints that connect the jaw to the skull, can also cause headaches. Poor posture, especially of the shoulders and neck from significant computer or desk time, can also lead to TMJ and headaches. Under the guidance of your chiropractor, all of these things will be part of your individualized evaluation and addressed during your comprehensive care plan.
A study conducted by the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that chiropractic care, including spinal manipulation, improved migraines and cervicogenic headaches. In addition to spinal manipulation, your chiropractor will also provide you with education and tips for ways to reduce your headaches. It’s important to recognize what triggers a headache and understand what causes your headaches. As your partner in health, it’s important to us that we not only help you get out of pain now, but help to reduce headaches or migraines in the long term. With a goal of reducing how your musculoskeletal system may be influencing your headaches or migraines, chiropractic can help improve your overall health and reduce the frequency and severity of these painful episodes.
Break Free of Headache Fog
If you suffer from chronic headaches, consider trying chiropractic. With MCR Chiropractic, you can find relief and improve your quality of life. Break free of your head fog by calling your nearest MCR office or click the button below to request an appointment and break free from headache fog.
