Neck pain and stiffness can stem from many causes. Some of these causes include whiplash and poor posture. Another cause is a condition known as “tech neck,” caused by looking downward at a smartphone or computer for long periods, which can overstretch the muscles in your neck.
Chiropractor Bentonville use hands-on spinal manipulation to reposition the spine and joints, improve mobility, reduce pain, and relieve pressure on nerves. They may also perform soft-tissue massage and offer stretches and exercises.
Cervical Adjustment
A cervical adjustment is a manipulative therapy that involves the chiropractor using their hands or specialized instruments to manipulate your neck joints. Often, cervical adjustments cause no pain, but sometimes the joint may make a cracking sound that can be alarming for first-time patients. This noise, known as cavitation, occurs when there is a sudden change in pressure within a joint. It’s no more dangerous than cracking your knuckles. The pressure change is caused by the release of nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide gases trapped in the synovial fluid surrounding the joints. These gases are released when the chiropractor applies precise pressure to a specific joint or twists the neck in a certain way. The sound is similar to the pop that occurs when you crack your knuckles.
Chiropractors use spinal manipulation to reduce neck pain, improve posture and alignment and help the body function physically. They can also treat a variety of musculoskeletal problems, including headaches, jaw pain, hip and shoulder issues, wrist and knee pain and back pain.
Before starting chiropractic treatments, a chiropractor will do physical and neurological exams to determine the root of the problem. The doctor will look at your neck and its range of motion, note any movement that causes pain and feel the spine’s curvature and alignment. In addition, the chiropractor will assess your overall health and medical history and perform X-rays to pinpoint the exact location of the pain.
A chiropractic treatment plan for neck pain and stiffness often includes several different therapies, depending on the cause of the problem. Some of the most common include:
Cervical spinal manipulation — manual manipulation of the upper two vertebrae in your neck (C1 and C2, or the atlas and axis). This may be performed by hand or with specialized instruments.
Therapeutic soft-tissue massage — a deep tissue massage that can be used to relax tight muscles, alleviate spasms and release tension in the connective tissues of each muscle.
Cold and hot therapy — treatment with warm or cold compresses that can help reduce inflammation, ease soreness and relax muscles.
Deep Soft Tissue Massage
Often, neck stiffness is caused by muscle tension and herniated discs. These issues can result in neck pain, headaches, and other symptoms. A chiropractic practitioner can provide patients with targeted treatments that address the source of their discomfort and reduce the severity of symptoms.
During the first visit, the chiropractor asks questions about the patient’s health history and conducts a physical exam. The examination includes observing the posture, range of motion, and physical condition of the neck and spine. The doctor may also feel the neck muscles, feeling for muscle spasm and stiffness. The chiropractic professional can also perform a neurological exam, which involves testing the reflexes and checking for other nerve changes, such as numbness and tingling in the arms or hands.
The cervical adjustment is one of the most common methods of treating a stiff neck. It involves a precise manipulation of the vertebrae in the neck, typically done with a hand tool for precision and control. This procedure helps correct misalignments, improves movement, alleviates pressure, and relieves strain in the neck and shoulder area.
This treatment can be combined with other treatments to enhance results, such as massage or rehabilitative exercises. For example, a patient might receive a Graston technique massage that breaks up knots and scar tissue in the neck and shoulders, which can then improve mobility and decrease pain and stiffness.
Another treatment that can help with a stiff neck is a low-frequency electrical stimulation. This is a noninvasive technique that overrides the pain signals sent to the brain, helping to speed up the healing process.
Neck pain and stiffness are among the most common ailments of modern society. People spend a lot of time hunched over computer screens, which leads to poor posture. This can lead to neck pain, and sometimes arm or back pain as well. Many of these conditions can be relieved by over-the-counter pain medication, but that only treats the symptom and not the root cause of the problem.
A chiropractor is the best person to treat these problems because he or she has training in the neck and upper back, and can assess the proper alignment of the spine and vertebrae. In addition, a chiropractor can treat the symptoms of herniated discs by relieving pressure on the nerves and decreasing inflammation and muscle spasms.
Warm Compresses
The neck, also called the cervical spine, is a remarkable structure that houses seven small vertebrae and supports your head throughout its wide range of movement. This flexibility, however, makes it highly susceptible to dysfunction, pain and injury. Over time, repetitive motions like sitting in the same position for long periods of time, sports injuries, blows to the head or body and normal aging can cause this. Neck pain can also stem from a number of medical conditions such as degenerative disc disease, arthritis, pinched nerves and fibromyalgia.
In addition to addressing the underlying causes of neck pain and stiffness, chiropractic treatment can help you manage the symptoms. For example, if you have a neck injury or chronic neck problems due to rheumatoid arthritis (RA), chiropractic care can improve your pain and mobility by relieving the pressure on your spinal nerves and joints that may be caused by deteriorating intervertebral discs.
A common treatment for neck pain and stiffness is warm compresses. These treatments are designed to increase circulation and relax tight muscles in the neck, providing immediate relief from tense, sore muscles. A warm compress can be applied to the affected area for 20-30 minutes at a time three times per day or as needed until your neck pain and stiffness subsides.
Many chiropractors incorporate these treatments into their patients’ treatment plans, and a recent survey of Australian chiropractors found that over 85.9% of chiropractors reported that they use more than three different treatment modalities to treat older adults with neck pain and/or headache. This finding could reflect the fact that older adults typically have more co-morbidities and thus may require a multi-modal approach to management.
Chiropractors also reported that one in three of their older adult patients with neck pain and/or headache received treatment for an additional condition such as cervicogenic dizziness or tension-type or migraine headache. While it is not known whether these other health problems are contributing to the neck pain and stiffness, they may serve as a marker for the need for more comprehensive, integrated patient-centered care in this patient population.
Over-the-Counter Pain Medication
Neck pain is a common problem in today’s society. Sitting at a desk all day, sleeping in the wrong position and even car accidents can cause this pain. In most cases, over-the-counter pain medication can help reduce the symptoms. However, it’s a “band-aid” solution to the problem and doesn’t address the underlying issue. Chiropractors can provide alternative treatment methods to ease your neck pain and stiffness.
A cervical adjustment is a therapeutic technique that involves the chiropractor manipulating the joints in the neck to improve the range of motion and relieve tension and stiffness. In most instances, this therapy doesn’t hurt, although there may be some initial discomfort or a popping sound that is similar to cracking your knuckles. These sounds are caused by gases in the joint getting released and pushing against the bones within the joints. The chiropractor will then use his or her hands to manipulate the joints back into their proper position.
The neck is a complex structure that contains seven small vertebrae. This flexibility allows the neck to move in nearly every direction, but it also makes the area prone to injury. Neck injuries can occur due to a wide variety of factors, including improper posture, poor exercise habits, over-exertion and age-related issues.
To treat neck pain and stiffness, the chiropractor will usually perform a cervical adjustment and follow it up with deep soft tissue massage or a warm compress. In some cases, a chiropractic treatment plan will include multiple treatments over the course of a few weeks.
In addition to treating neck pain and stiffness, chiropractors can also help prevent future problems by educating patients about proper posture and how to safely lift objects, exercise and sit for long periods of time. They can also offer advice and suggestions on how to manage daily stressors to avoid unnecessary spinal pressure.
In some cases, Medicare Part B will cover manual manipulation of the spine to correct a vertebral subluxation. If you’re interested in this type of treatment, ask your doctor for a referral. In addition to spinal manipulation, chiropractors can also treat other musculoskeletal conditions throughout the body, including the head and jaws, shoulders and elbows, hips and knees and ankles and wrists.