Neck Pain Treatment: A Philadelphia, PA Chiropractor’s Perspective

The neck is a very complex region of the spine. Just like other regions of the spine, the neck contains joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments as well as discs. Each of these structures when damaged can cause different kinds of pain. It is vital that we understand your unique problem so we can reduce or eliminate your pain but more importantly, so we can fix it.

At PA Pain & Rehab we take a multi-disciplinary approach when it comes to neck pain.  Thus, it’s important for a doctor of chiropractic to conduct a careful history and examination to determine if the patient’s neck pain are indeed related or if the issues need to be addressed independently. Here’s the process most patients with neck pain can expect when consulting with PA Pain & Rehab.

Doctors of chiropractic start out with a past history that includes the following: 

1. prior injuries or accidents 
2. family history
3. social history (including education level and occupation, sleep habits, tobacco/alcohol use, and more) 
4. current medication use to identify potential side effects
5. review of your systems (cardiovascular, respiratory, ears/nose/throat, genito-urinary, and more)

The present history then looks at each complaint individually to determine the onset, palliative, and provoking positions/activities/situations, quality of symptoms, radiation and location of complaints, the severity of complaints (pain—right now, on average, at best and at worst), and timing (better in the morning or night, work-relatedness, hormonal shifts, or patterns).

The examination may include vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, respiration, height, weight, temperature, etc.); observation of posture, gait, movement, affect, facial grimace; palpation of muscles, trigger points, joint noise (crepitation), warmth; orthopedic tests that provoke an increase and/or decrease in pain/symptoms; neurological tests; and consideration for special tests like x-ray, MRI, EMG or a consult with other medical providers.

This information results in a working diagnosis from which our team of doctors can create a treatment plan for the patient. Commonly used approaches you can expect from us may include treatments such as spinal adjustments (thrust and non-thrust types); mobilization (stretch-type); “drop table” methods; manual traction, trigger point, and other “soft-tissue” techniques; and modalities such as vibration, ice/heat, electric stim, ultrasound, and more. Additional self-care or at-home strategies may include specific exercise training, posture retraining, nutritional recommendations, and activity modifications.

Chiropractic care can be a great way to manage and relieve swelling and discomfort caused by neck pain. Routine chiropractic care provides patients with neck pain a safe, non-invasive, non-addictive alternative to prescription medications or over-the-counter pain medications (OTCs), which are commonly prescribed to patients to help them manage their pain and swelling.

Chiropractors deliver a gentle and non-invasive treatment known as a chiropractic adjustment. Chiropractic adjustments reduce joint restrictions or misalignments in the spine and other joints in the body in an effort to reduce inflammation and improve the function of both the affected joint and nervous system. By increasing joint mobility and improving your nervous system function and spinal health, your body has the ability to better manage the discomfort in the neck.

The origin of most of the neck pain we see in our offices many times is due to an injury such as a car accident or work related accident. However, most of the patients that we see with neck pain, in general, suffer from a muscle imbalance that usually leads to poor posture. The most common form of poor posture is Forward Head Posture (FHP). This is easily seen when looking at someone’s posture from the side. A tell-tale sign of FHP is the patient’s ears line up in front of their shoulders instead of directly over the shoulders. This is also commonly known as Upper Crossed Syndrome. Muscles in the back of the neck and the top of the shoulders will become strained and overactive and the muscles in the front of the neck and chest become tight and shortened. 

EMS is a popular treatment for neck pain, muscle tightness, and muscle spasms. EMS technology delivers effective, affordable pain relief that many people also find very soothing. EMS delivers light electrical pulses to the muscles surrounding the site of neck pain. This relaxes the muscles which can relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and decrease muscle spasms. During this therapy, a patient lies down and the therapist places electrodes on the affected areas of the skin. At PA Pain & Rehab, we use EMS to treat acute and chronic neck pain resulting from a variety of conditions, sprains and strains, and automobile accident injuries. The goal of chiropractic care is to help patients recover from pain and impaired muscle function. Electrical muscle stimulation is often used as a part of our chiropractic treatment plan to help manage pain as quickly as possible.

A sudden forced movement of the head or neck in any direction and the resulting “rebound” in the opposite direction is known as whiplash. The sudden “whipping” motion injures the surrounding and supporting tissues of the neck and head. Muscles react by tightening and contracting, creating muscle fatigue, which can result in pain and stiffness. Severe whiplash can also be associated with injury to the intervertebral joints, discs, ligaments, muscles, and nerve roots. Car accidents are the most common cause of whiplash.

Degenerative disorders such as osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, and degenerative disc disease directly affect the spine.

This common joint disorder causes progressive deterioration of cartilage. The body reacts by forming bone spurs that affect joint motion.

Spinal stenosis causes the small nerve passageways in the vertebrae to narrow, compressing and trapping nerve roots. Stenosis may cause neck, shoulder, and arm pain, as well as numbness when these nerves are unable to function normally.

Degeneration can cause a reduction in the elasticity and height of intervertebral discs. Over time, a disc may bulge or herniate, causing tingling, numbness, and pain that runs into the arm.

Poor posture, obesity, and weak abdominal muscles often disrupt spinal balance, causing the neck to bend forward to compensate. Stress and emotional tension can cause muscles to tighten and contract, resulting in pain and stiffness. Postural stress can contribute to chronic neck pain with symptoms extending into the upper back and the arms.

Are chiropractic adjustments to the neck safe?

Yes! Chiropractic adjustments are a safe, natural, and non-invasive way to treat pain, especially neck pain. At PA Pain & Rehab, we have helped thousands of people with neck pain and we would be happy to evaluate you and see if chiropractic is right for you. 

When should you see a chiropractor for neck pain?

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms you should consult with a chiropractor regarding your neck pain:

• A persistent ache
• A stabbing or burning pain
• Increased sensitivity to mild pressure applied to the neck
• Neck pain plus headache and numbness or tingling in one or both arms
• Increased tension/tightening in the muscles in the neck

Is it ok to “pop” my own neck?

No. It’s definitely not recommended. If done too often or too forcefully by pulling and twisting with your hands, it can result in joint instability and misalignments which can cause even more neck pain!