CHIROPRACTIC
Dr. Guy Yves Pelchat
IF YOU HAVE suffered from neck pain you are not alone. Recent studies show that 13.8 percent of adults have suffered from neck pain within the past three months that has lasted at least an entire day. That is over 3.5 million Americans.
Why is neck pain so common? Let’s look at how the neck is built. The neck, also called the cervical spine, begins at the base of the skull and contains seven small vertebrae. Incredibly, the cervical spine supports the full weight of the head, which is approximately 12 pounds. While the cervical spine can move the head in nearly every direction, this flexibility makes the neck very susceptible to pain and injury. There is a natural trade off between freedom of movement and stability. Activities and events that affect the neck include extended sitting, repetitive movement, poor workplace ergonomics, accidents, falls and blows to the body or head, normal aging and everyday wear and tear.
ACTIVITIES and events that affect the neck include extended sitting, repetitive movement, poor workplace ergonomics, accidents, falls and blows to the body or head, normal aging and everyday wear and tear.
Common Causes of Neck Pain
Injury and Accidents: 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 muscles and other soft tissues of the neck and head. Muscles react by tightening and contracting, creating muscle fatigue, which can result in pain and stiffness. 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 type injuries, but whiplash can also result from sports or other physical activities.
Growing Older: Degenerative disorders which develop with age, such as osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, and degenerative disc disease, directly affect the spine.
- Osteoarthritis: This common joint disorder causes progressive deterioration of cartilage. The body reacts by forming bone spurs that reduce joint motion and cause joint stiffness.
- Spinal Stenosis: Can be caused by many things, but results in a narrowing of the nerve passageways in the spine. It can cause a compressing and trapping of the nerve roots or in more severe cases the spinal cord. Stenosis may cause neck, shoulder and arm pain as well as numbness when these nerves are unable to function normally.
- Degenerative Disc Disease: This can cause 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.
Daily Life: Poor posture, obesity, and weak abdominal muscles often disrupt spinal balance causing the neck to bend forward to compensate. This places additional stress on the muscles that support the neck, and the resultant repetitive muscle stress leads to fatigue and pain. 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.
What Can Be Done About Neck Pain?
Chiropractic treatment for neck pain has been determined to be very effective. The most important step in treating neck pain is to find out the cause. To do this, your chiropractor will take your history and perform an examination to determine what the source of the neck pain is.
THE NECK, also called the cervical spine, begins at the base of the skull and contains seven small vertebrae. Incredibly, the cervical spine supports the full weight of the head, which is approximately 12 pounds.
Important information for your Doctor of Chiropractic to know is:
- When did the pain begin?
- What have you done to help your neck pain?
- Does the pain radiate or travel to any other locations in your body?
- What makes the pain better or worse?
Part of the chiropractic examination will include physical tests performed on the neck to determine which portions of the spine are causing the pain and what other areas of the body the spine may be affecting. The muscles in the area of the neck and shoulders will also be evaluated to determine their role in generating neck pain. In some cases an x-ray or other diagnostic tests may be appropriate to determine if there are any complicating or contributing factors to your symptoms.
Once the cause of the neck pain has been determined and a treatment plan has been outlined, care will begin. Chiropractic treatment is especially effective when combined with specific neck exercises designed to stretch and/or strengthen the neck muscles. The exercises are important in that strengthening the neck muscles helps to stabilize the spine and reduce the frequency of reoccurrences of neck pain. Research is also showing that chiropractic care is effective for chronic pain as well.
Some of the newest studies regarding chiropractic care and neck pain are showing that those who get treatment soon after the pain begins have the best outcomes. So, the best thing to do is not wait and hope that your neck pain goes away. Get evaluated by a chiropractor, get better and get on with your life!
A native of the Melbourne, Florida area, Dr. Pelchat graduated from Logan College of Chiropractic in St. Louis, Missouri. After returning to Florida, Dr. Pelchat interned in Palm Bay prior to becoming an associate in 1994. Dr. Pelchat opened the Pelchat Chiropractic Center in 1996 in Suntree. Dr. Pelchat has served on the Board of Directors for the Brevard County Chiropractic Society for over 10 years and is active in the Florida and American Chiropractic Associations.For more information, log on to: PelchatChiro.com
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