Why should you visit a chiropractor for neck pain first?

Neck pain affects 45 percent of today’s workers. It is about half as prevalent as lower back pain and is largely misunderstood and is usually blamed on texting, working on a computer for hours or perhaps it is due to long sustained postures. Do you have text neck or is texting just aggravating the problem by making you feel pain when you use your phone for a long time.

Is neck pain the problem or merely a symptom of lower back problems that you may not be aware of?  If your lower back, knees, and legs ache, are they separate problems or is there common postural and mechanical problems that may be the root cause of your pain?  Now that I have you thinking, most knowledgeable musculoskeletal providers know that where there is smoke there is not necessarily fire. When your neck hurts, the problem may not actually be in your neck, even though this is where you feel the pain.

Not everyone who texts or works on computers who has poor posture is in pain, so why are you in pain?  Is the cause of the pain something we find on an MRI or perhaps, maybe it has to do with the way we move and the way we are built?

In the book, Cheating Mother Nature, what you need to know to beat chronic pain, it talks about the relationship between foot biomechanics, pelvic distortion, and chronic pain.

Half the power in our bodies is derived through the core muscles.  If the core is distorted by tight fascia, secondary to problems in our feet, the upper back will also distort making us look like DNA.  This twisting will strain the ligaments as well as the ribs in the upper back region.  These postures and mechanical movement habits can result in arthritis and disc problems years later.  It may be more appropriate to look at an x-ray or an MRI in that context, rather than assume the findings on these tests are the problem in most cases.

Since much of our neck mobility depends on the mid-back and lower back joints as well as the pelvis, when the pelvis is distorted, this will be felt in the neck, arms, and shoulders resulting in…… neck pain.

Neck pain is a body mobility problem.  In the worst cases, when a disc is involved in the neck, rarely do doctors look at the rest of the body, even though based on this model, you must.  This is why a holistic approach that looks at how we move is essential to resolving most neck problems.

Your chiropractor is the best place to begin your search for relief because chiropractors are holistic practitioners who specialize in the musculoskeletal system.  The best approach to care begins with a thorough history, where the doctor digs for facts.  Chiropractic methods such as myofascial release, exercises, and manipulation of the spine and extremities are safe and sensible methods to restore motion that will relieve pain.

If you are about to blame your mattress, sometimes the problems is what we are placing upon it; ourselves.   Before you buy a new mattress, see your chiropractor first.   Sometimes, the problem is not the mattress, or even the pillow.   Sometimes, it is us.

For neck pain, see your chiropractor first.  If there are any medical problems causing the pain in your neck, they will refer you to a medical provider.  The good news is that most neck problems are musculoskeletal in nature and rarely do they result from a life-threatening condition.  Who you see first can determine the cost and quality of treatment which again suggests that for neck pain, you should see a chiropractor first.