When one experiences neck pain, they generally find themselves living a much lower quality of life than they once did before the pain began. When the pain gets bad enough that days of work are being missed as well as special events, then it is definitely time to seek professional medical help for this painful condition. It is important to pick the right type of medical treatment in order to achieve the maximum amount of pain relief in a minimum amount of time. Because I have suffered from neck pain off and on throughout my life, I know that chiropractic is really the best answer to end the pain.
My neck pain has come from many different sources. There was one instance during a sporting event where I was pushed from behind and received a minor case of whiplash. In medical terms, whiplash is when the muscles and vertebrate in the neck are forcefully jerked in a back and forth motion causing an over-extension of both. Years later I was diagnosed with a slipped disc in my neck, although I am unsure how this injury occurred. Luckily, I was able to visit my chiropractor to receive spinal manipulation in order to relieve my pain. The procedures were painless and did not require any needles, medications, or down time at all. That is the beauty of chiropractic care-- it is great for those who are afraid of pain.
Other reasons for neck pain can include degenerative disc disease, hunching your shoulders making your neck overcompensate for the shift in weight, poor posture, stress, vehicular accidents, and overuse of the neck muscles. Your symptoms can include, but are not limited to dizziness, stiffness in the neck and shoulders, headaches, a dull ache, or even sharp, shooting pains that can radiate down your back or into your arms. There have even been cases where difficulty swallowing was a symptom of neck pain. While you can visit your regular physician for medical treatment, they are more likely to prescribe you a pain relief medication or muscle relaxants to ease your pain and help you manage it better. They will also tell you to use ice and heat in order to relax the neck's muscles. While these methods help to relieve the pain, they will not get to the root of the problem. In order to do that, you will need to see a chiropractor.
Your first chiropractic visit will help in determining the exact cause of your discomfort with a series of questions geared toward finding out about your particular lifestyle and physical activities that you engage in on a daily basis. From these answers, your chiropractor will be better equipped at pinpointing your pain and eliminating it. He or she will perform spinal manipulations and/or traction as well as teach you how to prevent future neck injuries with various stretches and strengthening exercises that you can do at home on your own time. Soon, you will begin to feel the pain dissipate and your normal level of activity will be easily attained once again.
