If you are struggling with acute or chronic neck pain, you are not alone. Nearly every American will suffer at least one episode of neck pain at some point in their lives. Tight muscles, a cervical spine misalignment, or a whiplash injury may all be causing your pain. Our Gilbert chiropractor, Dr. Carlow, has more than two decades of experience safely treating chronic neck pain without the need for medication or surgery. Chiropractic care is a drug-free, non-invasive treatment technique that restores correct alignment to the cervical spine. Dr. Carlow and our chiropractic care team are committed to helping you live an active, pain-free life.
How Chiropractic Care from Your Gilbert Chiropractor Relieves Neck Pain
The first step to successfully treating neck pain is to identify the underlying cause. For many patients, a spinal misalignment is the root cause for their pain. A whiplash injury, for example, can “whip” the cervical spine out of alignment. Even at speeds as slow as 5mph, the force of a rear-impact accident can whip the spine backwards and forwards. This abrupt jerking movement strains the neck ligaments and muscles and may cause a cervical spine misalignment. Poor posture is also a common contributing cause for neck pain. When we lean forward to type on a computer keyboard or look down to view a smartphone screen, we increase the weight of the head on the spine. This increased weight can cause soreness, stiffness, and vertebra compression, further aggravating neck pain.
Depending on the cause for your neck pain, our Gilbert chiropractor may recommend a combination of chiropractic adjustments and complementary therapies, like massage therapy. Chiropractic adjustments are designed to restore correct alignment to the cervical spine. A spinal misalignment can compress nearby nerves and muscles. This compression may cause nerve interference, triggering neck pain and increasing the risk for headaches at the base of the skull. Cervical misalignments may also restrict mobility, making it more difficult to turn the head from side to side or look up and down. Adjustments are safe, effective treatment technique for restoring correct alignment to the cervical spine. Proper spinal alignment is essential for maintaining a full range of mobility and reducing the likelihood for nerve interference.
Complementing Chiropractic Care with Massage Therapies in Gilbert
Complementary therapies like deep tissue massage are also beneficial for relieving muscle tightness and restoring a fuller range of mobility to the neck. If your pain is due to poor posture—hunching shoulders, leaning too far forward to view a computer screen–massage therapy can help release the muscular tension that may be aggravating your pain. Myofascial release is a specific style of massage therapy that targets the body’s connective tissues, known as the fascia. Massaging these tissues in the neck, face, jaw, and throat muscles delivers enhanced pain relief and promotes a fuller range of mobility.