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Your neck has the job of balancing your head which is equivalent to a 10-13 lb bowling ball. Neck (cervical) problems can occur by a cumulative effect of improper sitting posture, poor work habits, lack of exercise, other lifestyle issues, as well as traumatic events such as a whiplash accident, a fall, or a sports injury. More and more people are now making their living at a desk.

Many of us spend 8-10 hours a day slumped over a keyboard and staring at a monitor. When we sit with our head in a forward bent position the ligaments that hold the facets together and the muscles in the neck are put under tremendous strain. This can lead to misalignments of the bones in the neck and possible injury to the disc. In addition to neck pain if there is spinal nerve irritation it can lead to headaches, eye problems, arm and hand pain, numbness and tingling in the arm and hand, as well as shoulder pain.

A study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that patients who received chiropractic care reported significant improvement in their neck function and a reduction in their neck pain, whereas those taking pain killers did not.

“In our randomized, controlled trial, we compared the effectiveness of Manual Therapy (Spinal Manipulation), Physical  Therapy, and continued care by a General Practitioner in patients with nonspecific Neck Pain. The success rate at seven weeks was twice as high for the Manual Therapy (Spinal Manipulation) group (68.3 percent) as for the continued care group (General Practitioner). Manual Therapy (Spinal Manipulation) scored better than Physical Therapy on all outcome measures. Patients receiving Manual Therapy (Spinal Manipulation) had fewer absences from work than patients receiving Physical Therapy or continued care, and Manual Therapy and Physical Therapy each resulted in statistically significant less analgesic use than continued care with a General Practitioner.

Conclusion: Spinal Manipulation is a favorable treatment option for Neck Pain patients versus Physical Therapy or continued General Practitioner.”

– Hoving et al (2002), Annals of Internal Medicine

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