Neck pain is a widely recognised source of discomfort, disability, and economic
burden on a global scale. It is estimated that up to 71% of adults have experienced
at least one episode of neck pain or stiffness at some point in their lives. The
impact of neck pain is significant, leading to increased healthcare visits, sick
leave, disability, and reliance on medical resources such as imaging and
medication.
Symptoms of Neck Pain
Whether caused by an awkward sleeping position, a car accident, or cervical spine
degeneration, the consequences of cervical micro traumas may only become
obvious when you start to experience neck pain. Symptoms can range from
stiffness and pain in the neck to headaches, jaw pain, dizziness, nausea, and visual
disturbances. Symptoms may also include more serious neurological symptom
such as radiating arm pain and numbness. The spinal nerves in the neck region
provide muscle strength and sensation to the arms, and compression or irritation of
these nerves can result in pain, tingling, numbness, or pins and needles sensations
along the effected nerve pathways.
The neck is a complex and highly mobile structure, requiring proper function and
muscle control for stability. Joint function is supported by ligaments and tendons
that connect bones and muscles. When a movement exceeds the brains perceived
safe range of movement for the joint and other neck structures, sensory receptors
alert the brain to the potential for injury, resulting in a stretch or discomfort.
Potential causes of neck pain may be micro traumas or repetitive stress injuries.
Such as poor posture caused by ergonomic issues in the workplace or stiffness and
pain caused by degenerative joint disease such as osteoarthritis.
Common neck injuries include high-speed movements in sports, whiplash from
car accidents, and even simple actions like sneezing. Sometimes mechanical neck
pain occurs insidiously, no reason or cause being apparent.
Symptoms associated with these micro or macro traumas can be persistent or
continuous localised neck pain, headaches, muscle tension, catching in the neck
with certain movements, neck stiffness and torticollis (acute abnormal neck
posture). While more significant symptoms may include radiating arm pain,
numbness or weakness.
Neck Pain and Posture
Neck pain is increasingly prevalent among office workers who spend long hours at
computers. While many companies now prioritise desk ergonomics and their
impact on posture and musculoskeletal health, it is important for individuals to
understand how to properly set up their own workstations. No one particular
posture is bad, however, staying in any one position for long periods of time can
have detrimental effects on the body.
How Our Chiropractors Can Treat Your Neck Pain
Evidence suggests that a multimodal approach to neck pain treatment, including
manipulation, mobilisation, and exercise, offers pain relief and functional
improvement for both subacute and chronic mechanical neck disorders. Adults
with neck pain who received manipulation or mobilisation therapy may experience
benefits in terms of pain, function, disability, patient satisfaction, and most
importantly, quality of life. These changes can be both immediate and long term in
nature.
At Waterloo Chiropractic our practitioners conduct a comprehensive medical
history as well as a postural, orthopaedic and neurological assessment of your
neck, back, and shoulders to accurately diagnose your condition. This provides the
practitioners with the information they need to give advice on the best treatment
options and a specific prognosis for recovery based on your condition.
Given the sensitivity of the neck area, we employ techniques such as soft tissue
massage and tissue mobilisation to relax the muscles surrounding sites of injury
and facilitate easier spinal adjustments should they be required. We are aware that
some patients can be nervous of having their neck adjusted and will guide you
through the process, explaining the procedure and utilising techniques to make this
as comfortable and anxiety free as possible for you. The goal of manipulation is to
restore optimal pain-free mobility to the musculoskeletal system. In some cases
this form of treatment has been found to be as effective as painkillers, muscle
relaxants, and anti-inflammatory drugs for acute and subacute neck pain.
In addition to an assessment of the local area of concern our chiropractors will also
perform an assessment of the entire spine, including an assessment for spinal
postural changes and abnormal spinal biomechanics. The presence of postural
abnormalities may increase stress on your discs, joints, ligaments, muscles, and
nervous system. We will then discuss your diagnosis and best course of treatment
which may be short term care or longer term management for more severe injuries
or long term conditions.
The techniques used by our chiropractors to address your pain and altered
biomechanics or postural changes are adjustments, which aim to restore joint
movement and health, as well as techniques such as massage, myofascial work,
dry needling and kinesiotaping as this allows our practitioners to address all the
structures that may be contributing to your pain. Postural correction exercises,
stretches and pain relief strategies are typically prescribed to allow patients to have
a more active role in their recovery process as time goes on.
At Waterloo Chiropractic, we pride ourselves in being a friendly, down to earth
yet professional clinic that prides itself on ensuring you have an excellent clinical
experience. Waterloo Chiropractic is an allied health care clinic with three
chiropractors who service the suburbs of Waterloo, Alexandria, Rosebery, Surry
Hills, Zetland, Kensington, Redfern and Moore Park.
We help our patients with low back pain, neck pain, headaches, posture, sciatica
and migraines as well as adjusting the spine.