Neck Pain
Progressive Chiropractic Berwick delivers exceptional services that aid in the treatment of neck pain; one of the more common conditions that most people will experience during their life.
What is Neck Pain?
Neck pain is experienced by many of our patients in Berwick. The neck is also referred to as the cervical spine and is made up of seven vertebrae. Together, they form a column that supports the weight of the head, allows movement and rotation, and protects the spinal cord, brainstem, nerves and blood vessels.
Neck pain is pain that starts in any structure in the neck and can refer to the shoulders, down the arm or to the upper back. It can cause muscle tightness and spasms, restrict movement and lead to headaches. Some common complaints of neck pain at our clinic are described as sharp, catching, stiffness, locking and dull ache.
On This Page
What causes neck pain?
Neck pain is a common condition that can have many causes such as:
- injury (sporting, whiplash)
- poor posture
- prolonged use of computers
- awkward sleeping positions
- muscle tension
- disc herniation (disc protrusion)
- degeneration of vertebrae (osteoarthritis)
- degenerative disc disease
How can chiropractic help with neck pain?
Chiropractors are highly trained experts in spinal manipulation. Here at Progressive Chiropractic Berwick we use a variety of different techniques to suit the needs of our patients. Some of these include:
- Spinal manipulation: this technique involves gentle manipulation of the facet joints of the spine to restore normal movement to improve flexibility, reduce pain and relax muscles
- Cox spinal mobilisation: this a gentle non-cavitating (“popping”) treatment which involves gentle stretching and mobilisation of the facet joints to restore normal movement and flexibility. This treatment is very popular for patients who like a gentle approach and is useful in cases of severe or acute neck pain
- Cervical traction / spinal decompression: used in cases of neck pain resulting from disc injury or abnormal neck curvatures, traction therapy involves applying an upward load on the neck to open up the joints and reduce disc nerve and pressure
- Cervical drop-piece: this is a gentle therapy that has many applications, but is commonly used for patients requiring rehabilitation of their cervical spine curvatures
Other conservative management for neck pain
At Progressive Chiropractic Berwick, we offer other conservative options to help with neck pain.
These include:
Massage
Compensatory muscular changes can often accompany musculoskeletal complaints. This may include muscle tightening and spasm, fascia shortening and activation of muscle trigger points and may require complementary therapies such as remedial massage therapy or myotherapy to assist in reducing these soft tissue conditions, to enable better results to be achieved with chiropractic treatment.
Exercise
Staying mobile is a proven way to assist healing and improve recovery times and is one of the treatment options for managing neck pain. Exercises are individually prescribed by the chiropractor based on the patient’s condition and are initially focussed on improving flexibility. Once pain levels have stabilised, the exercises are targeted towards strengthening weakened neck musculature to prevent future injuries.
Do you need help with Neck Pain?
Research on chiropractic treatment of neck pain
Bronfort G, Evans R, Nelson B, Aker PD, Goldsmith CH, Vernon H. A randomized clinical trial of exercise and spinal manipulation for patients with chronic neck pain. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2001 Apr 1;26(7):788-97; discussion 798-9. doi: 10.1097/00007632-200104010-00020. PMID: 11295901
Maiers M, Bronfort G, Evans R, Hartvigsen J, Svendsen K, Bracha Y, Schulz C, Schulz K, Grimm R. Spinal manipulative therapy and exercise for seniors with chronic neck pain. Spine J. 2014 Sep 1;14(9):1879-89. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2013.10.035. Epub 2013 Nov 10. PMID: 24225010.
Related Blogs
Neck Pain: Stretches to Relieve Pain and Tension
Your neck is an important part of your body that can carry a lot of tension and stress. Neck pain is a common complaint among
Home Ergonomics: Reducing Pain and Discomfort in Your Home Office
While working from home offers many benefits, it can also lead to poor ergonomics, which can cause discomfort and pain across many areas of your body.
Choosing the Right Pillow for a Good Night’s Sleep
Choosing the right pillow is important for getting a good night’s sleep. In this blog, we’ll go over 4 tips for choosing the best pillow for you.
