In today’s modern age of information technology, we tend to spend much more time behind a computer, therefore there is a rise in lifestyle injuries. Lifestyle injuries, due to bad posture, include neck pain and headaches. There are a large variety of neck conditions that Chiropractors manage daily.
Anatomy of the Neck – Cervical spine
The anatomy of the cervical spine consists of 7 neck vertebrae. The first 2 neck vertebrae are different from the other 5 because they have different functions. C1, commonly known as the Atlas of the spine, is a flat vertebra that is directly connected to the skull. C2, which is also known as the Axis, connects the Atlas to the rest of the spine. The spinal cord runs through the centre of the vertebrae; furthermore, branching out between the vertebrae to form the spinal nerves. (1)
Neck conditions seen by Chiropractors
Chiropractors see an array of neck conditions each day. Most commonly are those related to bad posture and sedentary lifestyles. Some of these conditions include (2):
- Neck sprains
- Muscle spasms – these can cause neck pain and headaches
- Headaches
- Whiplash associated injuries
How Chiropractors manage neck pain
The primary method that Chiropractors use to manage neck pain conditions is spinal manipulation. According to the 2013 World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) (3) winning paper by Bryans et al, it is beneficial to receive spinal manipulations for acute and chronic neck pain, however, the best is a multimodal approach. For the full paper click here.
Other modalities include:
- Ultrasound
- Myofascial dry needling
- Shockwave therapy
- Laser therapy
- Instrument assisted soft tissue manipulation
- Kinesiology and sport taping
- Electrotherapy
An integral part of treating a neck injury is understanding the mechanisms and the structures that have been injured. The best is to seek advice and treatment from a trained Chiropractor. For more information about neck pain or Chiropractic, please feel free to contact any of the friendly Chiropractors at Chirohealth in Hamilton.
“Knowledge is Power”
Albert Einstein
References:
- Netter, F.H. (2014). Atlas of human anatomy. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders/Elsevier.
- Vizniak, N.A. (2020). Quick reference evidence informed orthopedic conditions. Canada: Professional Health Systems Inc.
- Bryans, R., Decina, P., Descarreaux, M., Duranleau, M., Marcoux, H., Potter, B., Ruegg, R.P., Shaw, L., Watkin, R. and White, E. (2014). Evidence-Based Guidelines for the Chiropractic Treatment of Adults With Neck Pain. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 37(1), pp.42–63.