Conditions: Head, Neck & Arm pain
Please scroll down to read more about these conditions...
Head Pain
Headaches are so common that almost everyone takes the odd one now and again for granted, but you may be suffering more than you can cope with. Did you know that Chiropractors treat many of the causes of headaches?
Too much tension
Chiropractic can help to relieve tightness in your neck muscles due to stress and tension in your neck, shoulders and back.
Neck injuries
Chiropractic may also be very effective in the treatment of headaches that are the result of an injury or repetative strain to your neck (known as cervicogenic headaches). These are usually dull or aching pains, affecting the base of the skull or one or both sides of your head.
Migraine
Migraine is a severe headache, accompanied by other symptoms which may include increased sensitivity to light or sound, nausea or visual disturbances, that can last for hours or even days. Problems affecting the vertebrae (the bones of your spine) in your neck may also cause headaches, and may be a contributory factor in migraine.
Your Chiropractor will be able to identify a loss of proper movement in the vertebrae and associated areas, and by treating them, improve their movement. This reduces stresses on the muscles, joints and nerves which may be causing the problem.
Chiropractic - not just for backs
Unlike painkilling drugs, Chiropractic treats the cause of pain, not just the pain itself. Your Chiropractor will carry out a full examination, and ask you detailed questions about your medical history and lifestyle, to discover the cause of your headaches.
Then, after you have received your diagnoses, your treatment will begin, often with gentle, specific adjustments (the chiropractic word for manipulation) done by hand, to free stiff joints, relax muscles and remove spinal nerve irritation. This effective drug free treatment is generally painless, although you may feel short-term discomfort if your neck is very sore.
Neck Pain
Your neck supports the weight and movement of your head- quite a job, since an adult's head can weigh between ten and fourteen pounds (3.5 to 5.5 kgs)!
It also contains the vast majority of the nerves that reach from your brain to the rest of your body, like a pipe full of fibre-optic cables. With the amount of driving, computer work and watching TV that most of us do, it is not suprising that we need a little Chiropractic care to help to keep our necks doing their job properly.
Hold yourself up
The further away from your body you hold something, the heavier it feels. Neck pain may often be caused by the long-term effect of bad posture, especially when you regulary hold a weight too far from your body.
This might be:
- the weight of your head,as you bend over a desk.
- lifting babies and children
- carrying shopping or golf clubs into or out of the back of your car
- manual work
The result is a loss of proper movement in the joints in your neck, which may interfere with the nerves that run through it. It may lead to pain, although it may take days, weeks or even months to develop.
Not just a pain in the neck
Loss of proper joint movement may cause irritation of the nerves that come out of your spine. This, in turn, can lead to pain where the nerves end. This is known as 'referred' pain. This is why your neck may be treated when you have consulted your Chiropractor about shoulder and arm problems
Keep your joints moving properly
Chiropractic care treats the cause of pain, not just the pain itself. Your chiropractor will carry out a full examination and ask you detailed questions about your posture, medical history and lifestyle to help diagnose the cause of your neck, shoulder or arm pain.
Then your treatment will begin, often with gentle, specific manipulation. This effective treatment is generally painless, although you may feel some short term discomfort if your neck is already very sore.
Your Chiropractor may use ultrasound and recommend ice or heat treatment, massage and rehabilative exercises.
Arm Pain
Arm pain can be due to "referred pain", caused by a loss of proper joint movement in the neck which may cause irritation of the nerves. It can also be due to a problem in the arm itself due to a shoulder, elbow, wrist or hand problem.
Your Chiropractor will carry out a thorough examination to determine the source of your arm pain to find the most appropriate treatment for you.
