Neck pain is a very common complaint I see in clinical practice. The causes are varied but can range from a night of poor sleep to sports related trauma. More and more, I am also seeing the culprit being postural overload. That is to say, our society requires many of us to spend a lot of time working on computers. The position that many of us adopt in front of computers is actually harmful over long periods and forces undue strain on the joints of our necks. Many of us recognize the familiar tightness in the back of our necks, the stiffness and maybe even headaches that is a result of neck tension. If the situation isn't addressed, the next likely progression is pain.
Many patients see me for relief of pain in their necks. The relief is almost immediate in most cases but also function is improved. That is to say, a lot of neck pain sufferers report a lack of motion or stiffness in the neck. This can make everyday activities very difficult, even dangerous if you think about the inability to shoulder check when driving. I have seen first hand patients being able to move better and turn their heads after a Chiropractic treatment.
Today I'd like to discuss a common, alternative treatment for neck pain; Pain Killers. Many people resort to the good 'ol Tylenol or Advil for relief of neck pain. Admittedly, these medications will offer many people the relief they are looking for however, it's only temporary.
If your neck pain lasts more than a couple of days, I'm sure you will start to be concerned about how many pills you need to take just to make it through your day. Well, the good news is there is an alternative! According to this recent study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, it appears that Chiropractic adjustments for neck pain is a better option for neck pain than medication!
This study included over 270 participants from a wide range of ages (18 -65) that had been suffering from neck pain lasting from at least 2 weeks to as much as 12 weeks. What the researchers did was assign different people different therapies including, Chiropractic (Spinal Manipulative Therapy) and medication. The participants were re-evaluated at regular intervals to see how they were doing throughout.
The study concluded that participants who received Chiropractic treatments for their neck pain improved faster and were more satisfied with their improvements compared to those who took medication alone. Another finding from the study was that those who took only medication for relief, found their improvements were limited. To make matters worse, despite their limited relief, these sufferers continued to take HIGHER amounts of medication for longer. Thus posing other problems such dependency, liver toxicity, ulcers and overdose.
As this study shows, there are very effective and natural treatments for neck pain like, Chiropractic. In fact, as more evidence is showing, Chiropractic is an even better option than medication alone for the treatment and relief of neck pain. If you have any questions, please leave them below. Remember if you're in the Commercial Drive area of East Vancouver, stop by the office or visit my website here; COMMERCIAL DRIVE - EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC!!!!
References;
Spinal Manipulation, Medication, or Home Exercise With Advice for Acute and Subacute Neck Pain,A Randomized Trial,
Annals of Internal Medicine, Bronfort et al., January 3, 2012 vol. 156 no. 1 Part 1 1-10
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