Did you know that approximately one million chiropractic adjustments are performed daily in the United States?
Millions of people seek chiropractic care as a natural way to relieve back pain, but it’s also effective in treating neck and shoulder pain. If you’re experiencing neck and shoulder pain, it’s time to look at how chiropractic care can reduce your pain and get you active again.
In this guide, you’ll learn six ways a chiropractor can help neck and shoulder pain and improve your overall health!
- Spinal Adjustments
Your neck and shoulder are closely connected. This is because nerve pathways strongly connect your neck and shoulder, so this pain overlaps. Different conditions and injuries to your neck can cause shoulder pain and vice versa.
Common causes of neck pain and shoulder pain include:
- Poor posture
- Arthritis
- Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spine)
- Fibromyalgia
- Herniated cervical discs
- Injuries as the result of a car accident
- Frozen shoulder
- Rotator cuff tear
Spinal adjustments are an effective therapy for neck pain and shoulder pain. A spinal or chiropractic adjustment involves a chiropractor using their hands to apply sudden, controlled force to one of your spinal joints.
This type of spinal manipulation can improve spinal alignment and reduce pressure on the surrounding nerves.
There are also specific techniques to treat the upper back, neck, and shoulders. Manipulation of the cervical spine (neck) region can relieve neck and shoulder pain.
Your chiropractor will do an evaluation, including a physical exam and tests like X-rays. They’ll also review your medical history to determine the best treatment plan for you.
- Massage Therapy
Many chiropractors offer massage therapy along with chiropractic adjustments. Massage therapy is an effective treatment for neck and shoulder pain and can help conditions like:
- Frozen shoulder
- Stiff neck
- Pinched nerves
- Soft tissue injuries
- Fibromyalgia
- Arthritis
Often, these conditions can lead to problems with chronic pain and tension. Ultimately, this can affect your overall quality of life.
Your massage therapist can use various deep-tissue massage techniques that decrease stiffness and improve circulation. Trigger point therapy is also very effective and focuses on painful knots in the muscles and fascia. These knots are areas of tissue tension that leave you in a constant painful state.
Trigger point therapy involves applying continuous pressure to the trigger points. This pressure causes small blood vessels to open up and increase blood flow, which helps end the cycle of pain you’re in.
- Chiropractic Stretches and Exercises
Your chiropractor will incorporate physical rehabilitation into your treatments. These treatments reduce neck and shoulder pain by improving your flexibility and strength.
Typically, you’ll work through different exercises like chin-to-chest and side-to-side stretches for your neck. Shoulder stretches like shoulder rolling and raising your arms over your head are also very effective and simple exercises.
Your chiropractor will also teach you exercises to do at home on a daily basis. Doing this helps you recover faster from an injury or chronic pain condition.
- Lifestyle Changes
Lifestyle changes are effective remedies for neck pain and shoulder pain that many people overlook.
Inactivity, diet, and stress levels can all impact the pain and stiffness you’re feeling. Foods high in sugar and trans fats can increase inflammation in your body. Unhealthy foods can also cause you to gain weight, which puts more stress on your joints.
Too much stress in your life causes you to tense up, triggering neck pain, jaw pain, and headaches.
Your chiropractor will make recommendations for lifestyle changes such as:
- Making healthier dietary choices
- Implementing a daily exercise routine
- Drinking an adequate amount of water throughout the day
- Practicing stress relief techniques like yoga and meditation
- Posture Improvements
When you’re having neck and shoulder pain, it can really affect your posture. On the other hand, poor posture can cause neck and shoulder pain.
It’s all too easy to get in the habit of hunching over your computer all day at work. When you do this, it causes your chest, back, and shoulders to tighten up and put a strain on your upper back and neck.
Good posture is essential for maintaining your balance and also makes you less susceptible to muscle injuries. It also keeps your bones and joints in the proper alignment, which decreases fatigue, strain, and tension.
Your chiropractor will check your posture for imbalances that may be affecting you. Next, they will work to improve your posture through regular chiropractic adjustments. They’ll also teach you techniques for standing and sitting at home to improve your posture during the workday.
- Injury Treatment Plans
Chiropractic care is also very effective for treating neck and shoulder pain that’s the result of injuries from:
- Car accidents
- Work-related injuries
- Sports injuries
- Slip and falls
- Injuries from exercise or overuse
When you have an injury, your chiropractor will form a custom treatment plan to relieve the pain you’re feeling. Usually, treatments will include a combination of chiropractic adjustments, physical rehabilitation, and massage therapy.
Once the initial pain has improved, your chiropractor will help you with exercises and lifestyle changes to strengthen your body.
See a Chiropractor for Neck and Shoulder Pain
If you’re suffering from neck and shoulder pain, it’s time to turn to an experienced chiropractor for help.
You can turn to Anthem Chiropractic for all your wellness needs. We’ve been serving the Las Vegas area for over 20 years and can help you get back to the activities you love.
We offer treatments for neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, and pain associated with personal injuries. We also offer massage therapy, nutritional counseling, and physiotherapy services and can help you make healthy lifestyle changes.
Make sure to contact us today to schedule an appointment!
