Neck Pain

Up to half of all people around the world suffer from neck pain at some stage each year.(2-5)

Neck pain can be caused by a variety of factors, including:

• Car Crashes
• Work Injuries
• Disc degeneration
• Disc herniation
• Whiplash

• Biomechanical abnormalities, Misaligned vertebrae, Subluxation
• Overuse or a repetitive motion injury
• Excessive computer or smart phone use ( Text Neck)
• Poor Posture
• Sprains and strains
• Stress and anxiety

Associated Symptoms with Neck Pain 

Neck pain can occur on its own or very commonly in conjunction with a other symptoms. 

• Headache

• Loss of neck range of motion and stiffness

• Tingling down one or both arms
• Upper back pain
• Jaw of TMJ pain

Chiropractic care is an effective care option
We know from many research studies that for people with neck pain, chiropractic care is an effective care option, and it’s also cost-effective and safe compared to other common treatments for neck pain.(14-18)

For some people, one problem with neck pain is it just keeps coming back, or becomes chronic, and may even increase their risk of suffering from a fall.(2 4 6 7)

What does the research show?

There’s more to chiropractic care than just helping people with their pain. Researchers from New Zealand have published studies over many years that suggest that chiropractic care improves the accuracy in the communication between your spine and brain, which makes it easier for your brain to accurately tell what is going on in and around your body.1 And that the spinal dysfunction does not need to be so bad that you are in pain for your brain to be disturbed,(11)  or for gentle spinal adjustments to help improve your brain’s ability to accurately know what is going on.(11)

These scientists have even shown that chiropractic care for older adults improves specific forms of sensorimotor function that are very relevant to falls risk.(19)  In one study, they looked at the effects of 12 weeks of chiropractic care on sensorimotor function in older adults. The types of sensorimotor function they looked at were important measures of brain/body communication that were related to balance and falls risk. What they found was that chiropractic care in these older adults improved how accurately their brain knew what their ankle joint was doing even when their eyes were closed.(19) They found that the older adults could take a significantly faster step after receiving chiropractic care and it also helped their brains to process information from their eyes and ears at the same time.(19) In this same study, they also showed that not only did the older adults who were receiving chiropractic care function better, they felt better too.(19)

Chiropractic care is all about improving the communication between your brain and body so you can function at your optimal potential.(22)
Whether you suffer from neck pain, or you just want to have a tune-up of your brain/body communication, go and see your family chiropractor and have your spine tuned up so you can function at your best.

References
1. Hoy D, March L, Woolf A, et al. 2014;73(7):1309-15. 

2. Cote P, van der Velde G, Cassidy JD, et 
al. 2008;33(4 Suppl):S60-74. 

3. Fejer R, Kyvik KO, Hartvigsen J. 2006;15(6):834-48. 

4. Bussieres AE, Stewart G, Al-Zoubi F, et al. Ther 2016;39(8):523-64.e27. 

5. Cote P, Wong JJ, Sutton D, et al. 2016;25(7):2000-22. 

6. Bryans R, Decina P, Descarreaux M, et al. 2014;37(1):42-63. 

7. Uthaikhup S, ull G, Sungkarat S, et al. 2012;55(3):667-72. 

8. Abbruzzese G, Berardelli A. 2003;18(3):231-40. 

9. Brumagne S, Cordo P, Lysens R, et al. 2000;25(8):989-94. 

10. Haavik H, Murphy B. 2012;22(5):768-76. 

11. Haavik H, Murphy B. 2011;34(2):88-97. 

12. Lackner JR, DiZio P. Vestibular, 2004;56(1):115-47. 

13. Pickar JG, Wheeler JD.2001;24(1):2-11. 

14. Wong JJ, Shearer HM, Mior S, et al. 
2016;16(12):1598-630. 

15. Leininger B, McDonough C, Evans R, et al. 2016;16(11):1292-304. 

16. Michaleff ZA, Lin CW, Maher CG, et al. 2012;22(5):655-62. 

17. van der Velde G, Yu H, Paulden M, et al. 2016;16(12):1582-97. 

18. Jevne J,Hartvigsen J, Christensen HW. 2014;22(1):37. 

19. Holt KR, Haavik  010;15(4):315-33. 

21. Hawk C, Khorsan R, Lisi AJ, et al. 2007;13(5):491-512. 

22. The Rubicon Group. 2017:4.