How Chiropractic in Gastonia Helps Neck Pain
Almost every person in Gastonia will experience neck pain at some point. This can happen at any time, most likely in the morning after assuming strenuous sleeping position the night before or even in the evening after sitting all day working on a long project.
With the stiff neck problem, you will experience pain when trying to turn your neck to either side. It is important to differentiate an ordinary stiff neck from one with excruciating pain so that you make the right decision on when to seek the services of a chiropractor.
Conditions a Gastonia Chiropractor May Help
Before you can visit a chiropractor, you need to try a few stiff neck home remedies, including;
Use ice
Get a bag of ice material and place it on the affected area for 40 minutes, take it off for 20 minutes. Repeat this procedure severally until the pain becomes less or disappears.
Inspect your pillow
The pillow you use can increase or reduce your stiff neck suffering. To be safe, use a slightly firm pillow and rest your head on it while sleeping on your back. A flat pillow encourages sleeping in an unnatural position, a great contributor to the stiff neck problem.
Do a few neck exercises
If you do a few stretches of the neck, preferably up and down movements, and right-left head movements, your stiff neck muscles will flex thus providing relief to the stiff neck problem. Limit these exercises to the normal ranges; avoid causing more strain.
Do not drive if your neck can’t turn beyond the shoulders
When driving especially in areas with significant traffic, you require the power to turn your neck as far as possible. Just for your safety and comfort, do not increase the strain by driving when you cannot turn your neck more than 45 degrees. Remember, when driving you need to make quick decisions that include regular turning of the neck to see the oncoming traffic and can, therefore, can cause you more pain.
After making several considerations for home remedies for a stiff neck, you may still decide to consult with a Gastonia chiropractor.
Important to note is that chiropractors have the specialty to treat stiff necks. Therefore, they first take you through a physical exam, followed by X-ray scan (if necessary). After ascertaining the areas that require attention, they go ahead to restore the neck’s stiff joints movements, in a plan known as chiropractic treatment. This treatment plan incorporates chiropractor adjustments, physiotherapy, and physical exercising. Therefore, here are the other considerations on whether or not to visit a chiropractor for neck pains.
1. When there are no neck pain improvements, a few days after applying home remedies.
2. When you’re unable to turn your head from right to left and vice versa due to severe pains.
3. When you’re faced with daily temptations to depend on the use over-the-counter medication to relieve the neck pains.
4. When you suspect your neck pains have a more serious cause.
5. When your neck aching starts some days after suffering a traffic accident.
6. When the neck pain results in numbness and spreads to other parts of the body such as hands.
7. When your neck pains are at the peak when you arise while decreasing as your day progresses
Once you visit a chiropractor in Gastonia, he/she will offer you consultation where you will get a few questions while examining you to establish your case. Besides the oral examination, the chiropractor also checks the neck's movement to determine the level of damage. While reviewing, he/she will be seeking to understand the tenderness, numbness, and tingling in your arms
It is always advisable to visit your chiropractor to help you heal from neck pain problem especially when you have an idea of the possible causes of the pain. For instance, there is a relationship between abdominal motion-inspired injuries and neck’s vertebra becoming misaligned outwards. Therefore, a visit to the chiropractor can realign this vertebra thus restoring the neck movement.
Causes of Neck Pain
Several vertebrae make up the neck, and between these vertebrae are nerves and disks. Therefore, when a vertebra misaligns, it may pinch a nerve, thus causing neck pain.
Conditions for Vertebral Misalignment
- When you consistently assume a poor posture
- When your neck is always in an awkward position
- When you consistently sleep using your stomach, or when using a flat pillow to support your head while sleeping
- When your neck moves beyond the acceptable range
- Whiplash – this is the sudden move of the neck either sideways or back-forth. Whiplash is a major neck injury associated with car accidents. When this happens, the neck's tendons and ligaments experience tear due to overstretching of the neck.
How to Prevent Neck Pain
- Always embrace a good posture
- Use slightly stiff pillows and avoid sleeping on your stomach
- Place your computer screen at your eyes’ levels
- Take small breaks when working on something including watching videos.
- Identify when you’re suffering from stress and seek to address them in time
- Be physically active, incorporating neck movement exercises into your workouts.