Like back pain, neck pain affects nearly all of us at some point in life. And the severity of neck pain varies, with some people complaining of mild stiffness, while others suffer from complete incapacitation, and this begs the question, can chiropractic help? Chiropractors like the Houma, LA chiropractor, offer a non-drug, non-surgical approach of treatment that many people with aching neck find helpful. If you have aching neck and want to seek help from a chiropractor, keep reading this because you’ll find it very helpful.

First, it’s important to know the different types of neck pain to make treatment of this complication easier. Well, one classification system states that there are two main types of neck pain. The first one is acute neck pain and the second is chronic neck pain. Acute neck pain is the onset of pain, which starts quickly and resolves quickly. It always does not last for more than 3 months. If you continue to experience neck pain even after 3 months, we say you are suffering from chronic neck pain. In other words, chronic neck pain takes longer than 3 months. From these two types of neck pain, we can confidently say that aching neck is classified according to the period they take. So, can chiropractic help this?

According to studies, patients who undergo chiropractic care benefit immediately. In fact, they experience instant reduction in pain and improvement in mobility/ROM (range of motion); thanks to cervical spinal manipulation, which chiropractors administer on the same side as the neck pain. Chiropractors, for example the Houma, LA chiropractor, can also administer cervical spinal manipulation bilaterally i.e., on both sides, and this has short- and medium-term benefits like pain reduction and ROM improvement.

Multiple manipulations may be better compared to unsupervised stretching alone. But according to studies, stretching the muscles of the neck before and after manipulation can be of great benefit to the patient. Also, the combination of multiple manipulations and three-point traction can help reduce pain both in the medium- and long-term.

Chiropractors also use other approaches; the Houma, LA chiropractor, for instance, uses traction, cervical pillows, trigger-point therapy (that involves the application of pressure over myofascial trigger points for 90 seconds), mobilization, and some modalities such as low-powered laser, ultrasound, pulsed electromagnetic field, and electric stimulation. Well, these approaches help improve pain and overall well-being of patients.

Moreover, chiropractors recommend active care i.e., care taught to patients. An example of active care is exercises. Through active care, patients get to improve pain and ROM in both the medium- and long-term basis. It also exposes them to exercises that mainly focus on strength and endurance, which also have proved to be beneficial. Do not forget ongoing light and intensive exercise, as it helps improve pain in the long-term. But if you want to concentrate on medium-term results, then intensive exercise should be a frontier for you.

So, can chiropractic help? Well, aching neck is a common phenomenon, especially due to the fact that our necks are flexible. The best step to take if you have aching neck is to consult a chiropractor. They specialize in such areas, and will help you accordingly. The Houma, LA chiropractor, for instance, will offer you some quality treatment approaches that deliver results instantly.