Are you looking for a slightly more effective neck pain treatment than asking a co-worker, friend, or spouse to rub your neck? If so, you’re not alone.

Chronic neck pain is a common alignment that can lead to time off of work, inability to sleep and the inability to participate in daily activities.

Although the exact percentage of individuals suffering from neck pain varies from 10-70%, of those with neck pain, the Neck Pain Task Force found that 5-10% are disabled by their condition. In addition, they noted that once you experience neck pain, the majority will suffer from recurrent neck pain. The cost of neck pain and neck pain treatment to society is in the tens of billions.

The Anatomy of Neck Pain
Your 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 your head, which is on average about 12 pounds. While the cervical spine can move your head in nearly every direction, this flexibility makes the neck very susceptible to pain and injury.

The neck’s susceptibility to injury is due in part to biomechanics. Activities and events that affect cervical biomechanics include extended sitting, repetitive movement, accidents, falls and blows to the body or head, normal aging, and everyday wear and tear.

The Importance Of Your Neck’s Curve

Your neck was created with a built-in shock absorber called a lordotic curve. This curve was formed by design because the curve acts like a spring that absorbs the shock of your head resting on your neck.

When your neck loses its curve, the ligaments supporting your neck becomes stretched and lose their ability to maintain the curve. This can occur from a motor vehicle accidents, chronic poor posture or uncorrected vertebral subluxation complexes.

Once your neck has lost its normal curve, your neck and shoulder muscles attempt to hold your head it it’s proper position. Unfortunately, they were not created for this and they tire easily. Unless you decide to allow your head to fall into your lap, your neck muscles will have to continue holding up your head long after they become fatigued.

That is precisely how muscle spasms occur, leading to neck, upper back and shoulder pain. Restoration of the curve in your neck is one of the main focuses of doctors of chiropractic, and the reason why many patients with seeking neck pain treatment find chiropractic care effective treatment for reducing or eliminating their neck pain.

Neck Pain Causes
The trade off for flexibility in the neck is its susceptibility to injury. All structures in the neck or cervical spine region are fair game for injury and can be the origin for neck pain and the need for effective neck pain treatment, including;

• Vertebrae (vertebral subluxation complexes)
• Fact joints (arthritis, and inflammation)
• Muscles (strains and contusions)
• Ligaments (sprains and
• Discs (bulges and herniations)
• Spinal Nerves (pinched nerves)

In addition, the intensity or duration of neck pain is often complicated by;

• Poor posture
• Prolonged sitting or standing
• Improper workplace ergonomics
• Improper lifting techniques
• Sports or hobby ergonomics
• Whiplash accidents

Note:
In addition, a recent study in Rheumatology revealed that 26% of individuals involved in motor vehicle accidents will experience neck pain. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16078337/

Neck Pain Task Force Highlights:

The Bone and Joint Decade Task Force On Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders
Summary of Key Findings, January 2008
Read Full Report: http://journals.lww.com/spinejournal/fulltext/2008/02151/the_bone_and_joint_decade_2000_2010_task_force_on.4.aspx

Background

The Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders is composed of a group of international researchers and scientist-clinicians who have spent the past seven years undertaking a comprehensive and structured review of the current research on neck pain.
The Scientific Secretariat of the Task Force is composed of 13 members and has been supported by an international Advisory Committee of 17 members. The Task Force and Advisory Committee members represent 14 disciplines ranging from neurology and rheumatology to epidemiology, chiropractic and physical therapy from across nine countries.

In conducting its review of the available published research on neck pain, the Neck Pain Task Force considered almost 32,000 research citations and performed critical appraisals of the more than 1,000 research studies that were relevant to its mandate. The Task Force report synthesizes the best available evidence on the onset, course and prognosis, assessment and management of neck pain, and includes the results of several original research studies.

Universal Findings
1. Neck pain is a widespread experience:
Most sufferers manage to carry on with their usual activities.
About 1 or 2 people in 20 will find their pain disabling.

2. Once an episode of neck pain happens, the majority will find it is a persistent or recurrent condition.

3. There is usually no single cause of neck pain:
Many factors play a part including overall physical and mental health, work and daily activities; there are usually multiple factors that contribute to an individual’s neck pain.
Most neck pain is not the result of serious injury or disease.
Diagnostic tests such as X-rays, CT or MRI scans are only required in a minority of cases when a thorough physical examination and patient history indicate further investigation is needed. Routine imaging will not increase understanding of causation.
Degenerative changes in the neck increase with age and are common in people with and without neck pain; degenerative changes seen on X-rays are not predictive of neck pain.

4. Neck pain including WAD (Whiplash Associated Disorders) should be classified into a common system and the Neck Pain Task Force recommends 4 Grades:

1. Grade 1: neck pain with little or no interference with daily activities.
2. Grade 2: neck pain that limits daily activities.
3. Grade 3: neck pain accompanied by radiculopathy (“pinched nerve” – pain weakness and/or numbness in the arm).
4. Grade 4: neck pain with serious pathology, such as tumor, fracture, infection, systemic disease; it was beyond the mandate of the task force to study Grade 4 neck pain.

**Cervical manipulation is a reasonable option for people with Grade 1 or 2 neck pain: The risk of vertebrobasilar (VBA) stroke associated with a visit to a chiropractor’s office appears to be no different from the risk of stroke following a visit to an MD’s office:

Chronic Neck Pain Treatment And Chiropractic

The following 3 studies from 1999, 2003, and 2005 communicate the effectiveness of chiropractic care for neck pain treatment.

Pilot Study 1999:
Chronic Spinal Pain Syndromes: A Clinical Pilot Trial Comparing Acupuncture, A Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug, and Spinal Manipulation (J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1999 (Jul); 22 (6): 376-381)

After a median intervention period of 30 days, spinal manipulation was the only neck pain treatment intervention that achieved statistically significant improvements.

The Trial 2003:
Chronic Spinal Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Medication, Acupuncture, and Spinal Manipulation (Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2003 (Jul 15); 28 (14): 1490-1502)

The highest proportion of early (asymptomatic status) recovery was found for neck pain treatment of spinal manipulation (27.3%), followed by acupuncture (9.4%) and medication (5%).

The Long-term Follow-up 2005:
Long-Term Follow-up of a Randomized Clinical Trial Assessing the Efficacy of Medication, Acupuncture, and Spinal Manipulation for Chronic Mechanical Spinal Pain Syndromes
(J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2005 (Jan); 28 (1): 3-11)

“Overall, patients who have chronic mechanical spinal pain syndromes and received spinal manipulation gained significant broad-based beneficial short-term and long-term outcomes.”

Neck Pain Treatment Care Plan

Pain caused by a problem in the neck can radiate to the shoulders, head, arms and hands. It can mimic the pain of carpal tunnel syndrome and can be the main cause of tennis elbow. A care plan to overcome neck pain begins with a thorough consultation and examination during which the chiropractor evaluates the patient understanding to learn about the patience history and concerns. The chiropractor may also examine the patient’s skeletal structure, extremities, and movement to look for abnormalities.

In addition we may recommend an x-ray to obtain a clear view of the affected area. Once the underlying source of your neck pain has been identified we can tailor a comprehensive care plan based on the patient’s needs.

As doctors of chiropractic, our care typically includes an adjustment as part of the neck pain treatment plan. Rehabilitative exercise and stretches designed to strengthen the neck and spine may also be recommended. A complete chiropractic plan may also include other therapies such as heat and ice, electrical stimulation or ultrasound, laser therapy or decompression, or also massage therapy.

We may also recommend a wide variety range of lifestyle changes designed to optimize your overall health and wellness. Many problems in the upper body and extremities can be traced back to the neck, and chiropractic care has proven to be a safe an effective method of care for patients that have neck pain and associated conditions. A continued care plan may be recommended to ensure long lasting benefits.

If you or someone you know is suffering with chronic neck pain and is searching for an effective neck pain treatment option, you may want to consider chiropractic care.