Board-certified chiropractic physician, Dr. Timothy Harcourt, addresses the question of "How Do Adjustments Help Patients with Neck Pain"?
Jun 26, 2021 -- Posted by :Mechanical neck pain—neck pain without neurological compromise, often without a specific cause—is associated with a loss of mobility, poor activity tolerance, increased pressure pain sensitivity (or hypersensitivity to a normal stimulus), and increased joint position sense error (JPSE—difficulty reproducing the same movement when repeated multiple times). Patients with mechanical neck pain often seek treatment from doctors of chiropractic. Let’s look at how high-velocity, low-amplitude (HVLA) manipulation—the primary form of treatment used by chiropractors, commonly referred to as an adjustment—helps these patients…
In a 2018 study involving 54 patients with mechanical neck pain, participants received either HVLA cervical thrust manipulation or a sham cervical thrust manipulation. Evaluations conducted immediately following treatment showed that patients in the HVLA group experienced improvements with regards to JPSE (specifically neck rotation and extension), pressure pain threshold, and disability. (A related study showed that patients who received HVLA cervical thrust manipulation experienced an immediate 41% improvement in JPSE.)
A week later, the participants in the HVLA group continued to experience improvements related to disability. Again, this was after just a single treatment. Typically, doctors of chiropractic administer a series of HVLA manipulations one to three times per week for one to two weeks followed by a re-assessment to determine if care should continue (at the same frequency or at a reduced frequency) or if the patient should be released from care and advised to return for care on an as-needed or maintenance basis.
Chiropractors often combine several treatment approaches when managing patients with mechanical neck pain and other musculoskeletal conditions to both reduce pain and improve function. A partial list of commonly applied services includes the following: HVLA manipulation (thrust with cavitation), mobilization (non-thrust), soft tissue therapies (massage, vibration, muscle release techniques, trigger point therapy, myofascial release, and more), home and/or in-office exercise training, nutritional counseling, physical therapy modalities, and more. Chiropractic HVLA manipulation has strong research support as being a VERY effective management approach for patients with either acute or chronic neck pain!
So, if you are experiencing neck pain and/or headaches and type in pain management near me, you may find Coast Chiropractic Centers with Dr. Timothy Harcourt, me, comes up.
You may wonder, “Do I need an MRI scan of my brain or neck.” Also, if you feel arm pain it may indicate things are getting worse and may indicate a bulge on the disc or worse yet a herniated disc in your neck. Some people have a feeling of their “head aching.”
What type of headache is it to include tension headaches, cluster headaches, migraine headaches, sinus headaches, or toxic headaches?
Regardless of the type, it can leave you feeling exhausted fatigued, nauseous, and even depressed. Some get severe pain behind the eyes. Persistent or worsening pain intensity and/or frequency necessitates a visit to see a professional.
Call me, Dr. Tim Harcourt, at (239) 278-3344 and mention this article for an awesome discounted first visit to include history, exam, and adjustment or Class IV high-intensity laser treatment.