Neck pain is the fourth leading cause of disability in the United States and affects nearly 30% of Americans. Most neck pain resolves itself after time, but almost 50% of those who suffer from neck pain will have long term pain.
Neck pain can be intermittent, a simple irritant, or it can be debilitating. No matter your range of neck pain, it often needs treatment and a chiropractor is the best professional to seek for neck pain relief.
Chiropractic treatment is an alternative therapy used as pain relief for muscles, bones, connective tissues, and joints. A Doctor of Chiropractic does treatments at Midvale chiropractor clinics who use hands-on manipulation and other procedures to heal your body and ease your pain.
Elite Chiropractic uses many treatments for neck pain and some specific techniques include:
- Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Therapy. salt lake chiropractor uses this gentle manual therapy technique to treat soft tissue neck injuries without causing bruising or additional damage. Instrument-assisted soft tissue therapy employs an instrument to add shearing stress to soft tissues.
- Cervical Drop Techniques. Cervical drop techniques focus on applying pressure to spinal segments as the patient is lying face down or on one side. The table has a head-drop piece that aids with the adjustment pressure thrusts. Slowly, the head drop piece lowers as thrusts are applied. This technique is used to reduce stiffness in your cervical vertebrae.
- Therapeutic Massage. It has been shown that even moderate massage can reduce overall muscle tension, including neck muscles. Massage lengthen muscle fibers and increases blood flow and function to neck muscles. Pain is reduced substantially when an Elite Chiropractor who knows the anatomy and precautions of neck massage brings real relief to clients suffering.
- Electrical Stimulation. Inferential electric stimulation therapy is the use of a low-frequency electrical current to stimulate neck muscles. When electrical currents are applied to tissues, thermal, chemical, and physiologic responses are created. Currents also modify pain impulses.
- Ultrasounds. Ultrasound therapy uses acoustic energy and a constant wave produces thermal effects. These effects increase blood flow, reduce stiffness and spasms, and increase the flexibility of tendons and joints. Pain is decreased.
Exercises
Therapeutic exercises are recommended by Elite Chiropractors to reduce your neck pain and other related symptoms. There are a few exercises you can do at home:
- Rotate your head left, until your nose is over your shoulder. Return your head to its normal position. Do this several times during a session.
- Flexion is an exercise where you clasp your hands behind your head and bring your head down low as you can. Flexion stretches the muscles and helps them spring back into shape.
- Shoulder blade pulls can help treat neck pain. Raise your arms to a 90-degree angle, relax your shoulders and squeeze the muscles between the should blades. Do this several times to help relax your neck muscles.
- Try neck retraction by bringing your head straight back while keeping your eyes forward. Return your head to its normal position.
Before you try these neck exercises, work with your chiropractor in Layton or your Midvale chiropractors. Chiropractors will teach you the proper way to do the exercises intended to help relieve neck pain.