It's important to keep a few things in mind when considering a visit to a chiropractor for neck pain. Chiropractic began with the intent of working with the spine and back related problems, and while most neck pain is related to spinal alignment, sometimes it's not.
Chiropractic adjustment of the neck and cervical vertebrae may carry with it some risks, so your chiropractor will perform an examination first. While very low in its risk, an improperly done neck manipulation can actually cause some problems ranging from stroke to pinching and severing major blood vessels in that area.
Most chiropractors understand the risks involved and adhere to the premise that you should always outweigh the benefits versus the risks and make sure to take a complete case history to see if the patient is at risk for any problems. It would not be wise for a chiropractor to walk up to any person on the street and perform a neck manipulation. Still, it's often the untrained person performing the manipulation that really puts the patient at risk.
Neck pain, headaches, and tingling or numbness in the upper extremities can be directly linked back to cervical vertebrae misalignment. The benefits of receiving a specific spinal adjustment to the neck can mean an end to a lifetime of a chronic condition. Many chiropractic patients only sought out treatment after all other more "traditional" treatments have been tried and failed.
Chiropractic adjustments can be just the thing for neck pain. Many times this neck pain may be caused by tension or posture issues which can be fixed in one or two visits with a skilled practitioner, even if it has been chronic. Because chiropractic can change, or reset the way a person carries their skeletal frame, this may also correct how they deal with the tension they carry around in their muscles and whether that translates itself into back or neck pain or not.
If you are concerned about whether chiropractic is right for you, you can set up a consult with a chiropractor or consider seeing your general practitioner first if you know of something in your personal medical history that you think might be a problem. He or she can help determine if chiropractic care is right for your problem, or if other treatment options would be more suitable for your problem. You can also seek out the help of friends, family members, or co-workers that have had a good experience with a chiropractor.
The doctor of chiropractic may do an x-ray examination of your neck (and maybe your entire spine) and then may suggest a regiment of chiropractic care that may include massage, heat, cold therapy, electric stimulation, or ultrasound in addition to chiropractic adjustments. These additional therapies are complementary to problems dealing with muscles and the spine.
Author Resource:
Philip Vincent is a health educator. Need a Stratford CT Chiropractor ? Consider a visit to this Stratford CT Chiropractor .