What to Watch For, How to Treat It, and More

At any given time, roughly 10 to 20 percent of Americans are suffering from neck pain, and over a six-month period, we can expect more than half of people to suffer from this pain. While neck pain is common, it is often treatable.

If you live in or near Huntsville or Madison, AL, you need to visit a Millar Chiropractic Clinic for neck pain relief!

The Causes Of Neck Pain

Neck pain can be caused by many things. Neck pain can be caused from a little crick in the neck all the way to a herniated disc in the neck. Often, your spine is out of alignment, which can put pressure on nerves and muscles, and cause other issues. Injuries, poor posture, sleeping in the wrong position or without enough support, and many other things like texting too much can cause neck pain.

Neck pain can also be caused by car accidents and whiplash. Long amounts of time sitting in chairs that do not provide ergonomic support may also cause neck pain. At the end of the day, a lot of different things can cause neck pain, so it is important that you talk to an expert about neck pain relief treatment.

Neck pain with radiating pain down an arm into hands and fingers can be caused by bulging or herniated disc in the cervical spine. If you have neck pain that radiates down into the arm, hands and fingers it is better to get that looked at sooner rather than later.   

Unfortunately, chronic pain can quickly become debilitating. You may struggle to fall asleep or avoid things you enjoy, such as taking a pet for a walk or a dip in the pool. Fortunately, neck pain is often treatable.

How a Chiropractor Will Diagnose Neck Pain

At Millar Chiropractic Clinics we consider neck pain our "bread and butter" so to speak. Neck pain is one of our 6 area of specialty excellence. We treat lots of patients with neck pain and have lots of excellent outcomes. 

If you present with neck pain we will first do a thorough history. This includes things like onset, what were you doing when the pain started, the quantity 0/10 and quality of neck pain (sharp, dull, tingling, burning, numbness). Timing of this pain (worse in the AM or PM). We will then ask what makes it better and worse. 

We will then do a thorough exam including orthopedic test designed to diagnosis what is causing the pain. We will do neurological test to check the nerves. We will check reflexes and look for neurological deficits. Finally we will check the muscles, ligaments and tendons. 

We will then order X-Rays of the cervical spine (neck) and other areas as needed. Based on our history and exam findings and what we see on your X-rays, we may order an MRI of the cervical spine. Our goal is to get to the root cause of your problem and fix it.   

How a Chiropractor Can Treat Neck Pain

If you are regularly suffering from neck pain, you need to visit a chiropractor. As a neck pain treatment expert, we will help you identify the root cause(s) of your neck discomfort and then prescribe treatment.

Some doctors rely on prescription pills to treat neck pain. However, these medications can have side effect or even be addictive. We like to say if you have a chemical problem, you need a chemical solution. BUT if you have a physical problem, you need a physical solution. 

Our chiropractors will use hands-on treatment to realign your spine, reduce strain, and increase the strength of your back and neck. Additionally as neck pain is one of our areas of excellence, we have the specialized equipment to treat neck pain such as lasers, disc pumps, and decompression traction. 

While such treatment can provide a tremendous amount of pain relief, you will not have to worry about relying on addictive medications with side effects.

Suffering from neck or back pain? Huntsville and Madison, AL are home to several Millar Chiropractic Clinics so get in touch for pain treatment!