Shoulder pain is common and can be caused by a variety of factors. Fortunately, chiropractic care can help alleviate neck and shoulder pain.
Chiropractors can manually manipulate the spine and other joints in the neck to relieve pain. They can also use mobilization techniques, manual joint stretching and resistance, and soft tissue massage to relax tense muscles and for pain management.
Pain Relief
The cervical spine is a complex structure with seven small vertebrae that support the weight of your head. Over time, a misalignment in this area can cause pinched nerves, leading to neck and shoulder pain. Chiropractors are experts in relieving pressure on nerves and restoring spinal alignment, which can provide significant pain relief.
A chiropractic adjustment stimulates blood flow to your joints and muscles. This ensures that your body gets the oxygen and nutrients it needs to function properly, reducing fatigue and encouraging healing. Regular chiropractic care can decrease your dependence on pain-relief medication, which can reduce the risk of addiction and potentially save you money.
You may hear popping or cracking sounds during a chiropractic adjustment. This natural result of releasing gases in joint spaces is not harmful. Chiropractors often combine manual manipulations with soft-tissue therapies and exercise or traction to improve mobility, reduce inflammation, and ease pain.
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Increased Mobility
Stiff shoulders and achy necks keep you from moving freely throughout the day. Visiting a chiropractor offers you a natural way to manage your discomfort without using prescription pain medications.
Spinal manipulation, or spinal adjustment, is crucial to chiropractic treatment. This technique uses precise pressure on the spine to reduce nerve irritation and improve musculoskeletal function.
In addition to spinal adjustments, chiropractors may utilize several other techniques to relieve neck pain and shoulder tension. These include instrument-assisted soft tissue therapy, manual joint stretching and resistance techniques, massage, and rehabilitative exercises.
Neck stretches like chin-to-chest and side-to-side strengthen supportive muscle groups, increasing flexibility. Electrical stimulation methods prevent wasting injured shoulder stabilization muscles by keeping neural pathways active. This reactivates weakened pathways that would otherwise go dormant with disuse, similar to jump-starting a dead battery. The result is a gradual return of natural neck motion that often outlasts temporary medication masking.
Better Sleep
Getting a good night’s rest is critical to your overall health and wellness. Whether you struggle with insomnia or sleep apnea or just want to ensure you are sleeping as comfortably as possible, holistic chiropractic care can help.
Chiropractors are trained to evaluate your sleeping patterns and treat the underlying cause of your problems. This could include a spinal misalignment that causes pain, discomfort, or even a pinched nerve. Chiropractors can perform manual manipulations to relieve the pressure on the nerves, improving sleep.
Chiropractic adjustments can also help regulate hormones that control sleep patterns. For instance, when the body is in proper alignment, it produces less cortisol, which can contribute to insomnia and difficulty falling asleep. Regular visits to a chiropractor can improve your sleep quality and prevent neck pain in the future. This can save you from the need to take prescription or over-the-counter painkillers that mask your symptoms and carry additional risks.
Reduced Stress
Neck pain and stiffness can cause stress, leading to a vicious cycle of mood changes, irritability, and a general inability to function well. Regular chiropractic adjustments can decrease pain and relax muscles, which can help alleviate stress.
Gentle spinal adjustments locate and release squeezed neck vertebrae through controlled maneuvers reminiscent of tuning piano keys back into harmony. They also re-energize neural pathways that could otherwise become dormant due to injury or misalignment.
Chiropractors also employ soft tissue techniques and spinal manipulation to enhance recovery further. Mobilization — applying manual force to joints to reduce joint dysfunction and pain — and massage therapy effectively reduce muscle tension, improves circulation, and promotes tissue healing.