Signs You Need to See a Chiropractor for Your Neck Pain
Neck pain is very common among people of all ages. It can strike at any time and may be attributed to a number of different factors and causes. It could be something as simple as waking up on the wrong side of the bed, or it could also be caused by stress after a long day at work. Heightened emotions such as sadness or anger may also add up to stress and cause neck pain.
If you have a stiff neck, there are some signs and symptoms that you should be aware of. If you experience any of these symptoms, then you should seriously consider going to see a chiropractor for your neck pain.
Home Remedies
With that said, if you happen to have a stiff neck, there are some home remedies that you could safely try before seeing a chiropractor for professional treatment. If you can feel that an area seems to be inflamed, try using ice on the affected area. Apply an ice bag on the affected portion and try to keep it there for 40 minutes at a time with 20 minute rest periods in-between.
Persistent Stiff Neck
Normally, the symptoms of a stiff neck should disappear after 24 hours. If they persist with the same intensity after several days, then you should definitely go straight to a chiropractor. This is also true if the pain has actually increased in intensity instead of gradually getting better.
Pain When Moving Your Head
If you feel pain whenever you tilt your head or move it at an angle, then you need chiropractic care immediately. The pain may be caused by a pinched nerve somewhere in your neck, shoulder, or spine area. This can be easily remedied with a chiropractic adjustment, so do not hesitate and head to a qualified chiropractor as soon as possible.
Reliance On Pain Medication
If you have already tried pain medication and the pain keeps recurring after the medicine has worn off, then something is definitely wrong. Do not take this lightly and see a chiropractor who can perform a specific adjustment in order to relieve your neck pain immediately.
Numbness In Wrists and Fingers
Are you experiencing neck pain with accompanying numbness in your wrist and fingers? This is a sure sign that your vertebra may be out of alignment. Naturally, this is well within the field of specialization of a licensed chiropractor.
Minor Or Major Accidents
If you have been in an accident recently, even if it seems like a minor one and this resulted in neck pain, you should definitely see a chiropractor. If there is an internal bone fracture after an initial check, the chiropractor will recommend that you take some x-rays or similar tests to ascertain that you are fit for a chiropractic adjustment. Remember that even a minor accident such as falling out of your bed could result in neck pain requiring chiropractic treatment.
Diagnosing Neck Pain
When you first see a chiropractor for your neck pain, you will be diagnosed via an evaluation of your spine. This is to determine if the other parts of the neck including the lumbar, thoracic and cervical are affected by your current condition.
Next, the range of motion of your neck and the amount of restriction caused by the pain will be evaluated. This is done in order to determine what type of chiropractic adjustment should be done on you.
Be honest about the amount of pain that you feel and do not try to bear it. In case the neck pain is too severe, the chiropractor may recommend additional testing via X-rays and/or seeing a surgeon. In severe cases wherein chiropractic care is not applicable, surgery may be required.
Chiropractic Adjustments For Neck Pain
The type of chiropractic adjustment used on you will depend on how the chiropractor has diagnosed your neck pain. Specific spinal manipulation using either an activator or manual thrust is generally utilized. The gentler flexion-distraction technique may also be used if the pain is particularly intense. More specialized tools such as electric stimulation is also employed at times.