What To Expect When Consulting A Chiropractor For Neck Pain

If you are thinking about consulting a chiropractor for neck pain what should you consider before booking your appointment? Firstly, you need to be aware that in some medical circles there is concern that certain neck conditions may be made worse by chiropractic treatment. For this reason it is recommended that you seek advice from your doctor first for a diagnosis. However, there are thousands of neck pain sufferers who have found relief using a chiropractor so it should not be dismissed out of hand.

The cause of your neck stiffness or pain will determine the best course of action to take to find a solution. If your condition is due to a misalignment somewhere in your body then a chiropractor will be able to identify this and hopefully remove it.

What Will A Chiropractic Examination Involve?

Chiropractors believe that the relationship between your skeleton, muscles, nervous and bodily systems is vital for good health. If your spine is misaligned or joints misplaced then this will upset your body's balance and therefore any aspect of your health could suffer.

Your inititial consultation will involve reviewing your medical history, neurological tests such as checking your reflexes, a spinal examination, plus a thorough assessment of your posture. This will be done in both standing, sitting and lying down positions to see exactly where you require adjustment.

If your posture is poor this will put unnecessary stress on your muscles, ligaments and tendons which could be the cause of your stiff neck. Until these are corrected most conventional treatments for your neck will only have a temporary effect.

You may also be x-rayed or be sent for an MRI scan to rule out more serious conditions such as tumours or a fracture that has been missed. Advice on nutrition and lifestyle may also be given.

Following a thorough examination a chiropractor will use manipulation to adjust the misaligments in your spine. These involve short thrusting actions to put the misplaced vertabrae back to where they should be. You may feel some discomfort afterwards but this will only be temporary and be no worse than a bruised feeling. You will probably require a number of treatments to consolidate the adjustments. Your chiropractor will probably suggest you return at regular intervals to ensure the initial condition has not returned.

How To Find a Chiropractor

A fully qualified practictioner, or Doctor of Chiropractic medicine, will have the letters D.C. after their name. This ensures they have completed the required training. The best way to find a good chiropactor is to firstly ask your doctor who may or may not recommend it as a form of treatment.

The next best way is a recommendation from a someone you trust such as a family member or work colleague as they will have personal experience of one.

Chiropractic national associations will maintain a list of their registered practitioners which will usually be available online - check your yellow pages or business directories for details in your area of these organisations.

On a more personal level you will need to feel at ease with your chiropractor as it could be a long-term relationship. Also take into consideration their location and ease of getting to the practice as you could be visiting often for the first few weeks of treatment.

Want to ask a question? If there is anything on this page that you would like to ask about please feel free to contact me Roy Palmer