22% to 70% of people will experience neck pain at some point in their lifetime with approximately 37% of people experiencing it annually. This frequent occurrence can make life a real “pain in the neck”.
Symptoms may include:
- Headaches (pain on one side of the head and around the eye, aggravation on certain head/neck movements)
- Grinding or clicking sensation in the neck
- Arm and shoulder pain
- Pins and needles in the arm or hand
What are the possible causes of neck pain?
– Arthritis
– Muscle stiffness
– Trauma (direct injury, whiplash)
– Disc bulge
– Poor thoracic mobility
Activities that can contribute to neck pain are excessive sitting or repetitive movements. Often neck pain is of musculoskeletal origin and can be well managed by a chiropractor.
Dr. Michael Black will assess his patient’s neck pain with orthopedic, neurological and range of motion tests and formulate a treatment using a variety of methods such as spinal mobilisation, soft tissue work, massage and rehabilitative exercise. Sometimes he will refer for spinal imaging like an x-ray or CT scan.
He then makes a provisional diagnosis and commences a course of care after reporting to the patient how and why they have a problem requiring chiropractic care.
Private health funds cover chiropractic care and some patients qualify for a Medicare EPC referral if they have a long-standing problem. Chiropractic care has been seen to relieve neck pain for many people without the common side effects of taking drugs. If in doubt about your neck pain, don’t hesitate to get a chiropractic opinion.