Treating Neck Pain and Whip Lash | Autumn 2003 Newsletter

NECK PAIN

We all suffer from an occasional aching or stiff neck that usually goes away in a day or two. If pain recurs or persists longer, it is our bodies way of telling us it needs help.

Some of the common causes of neck strain are weak muscles, bad posture, prolonged static positions, stress and tension and traumatic injuries such as car accidents.

Any or all of these conditions can create tightening in the muscles and ligaments that support the neck. Left untreated these changes can lead to pre-mature wear and tear in the joints of the spine.

Headaches are also a common sign of chronic neck tension and problems.

Another long term consequence of untreated neck pain is irritation or “pinching” of the spinal nerves as they exit the neck. This can cause numbness or tingling into the arms or hands and in a worse case weakness in the same areas.

Is it time to have your neck pain treated? If so read on and find out about conservative treatment options.

Whiplash

A whiplash injury results from a sudden forward, backward or sideways movement of the head. A common cause is the sudden acceleration & deceleration that occurs in a car accident. It can also occur in a bad fall or sports activity.

Any time your neck is whipped in one direction and rebounds in the opposite direction sensitive tissues and structures in and around the neck can be torn or damaged.

You may not be feel the damage for hours, days or even weeks. If you or someone you know has had a whiplash injury they should be seen as soon as possible to avoid permanent problems.

Treatment options

At Milwaukie Pain Relief & Wellness Center we have a multi-faceted approach to treating neck pain. After a thorough exam to determine the causes of your neck pain, if appropriate, we provide drugless and non-surgical treatment options.

If you have had a recent strain/sprain injury we may recommend an initial combination of massage and chiropractic care. Eventually yoga and other self help tools are included as part of your recovery. The cumulative effects of stress, tension or postural strain would respond to a series of hands on chiropractic and massage care. Exercise and postural instructions would also be important to preventing recurrence.