At first these types of neck problems seem to “come and go”. An occasional flare-up from time to time, but the pain is manageable. Gradually, the flare-ups become more frequent. The pain often becomes more severe and you have to start giving up some of the activities that you enjoy. Pain then becomes the background noise that is present even when the “flare-ups” subside. The flare-ups become debilitating. You have trouble sleeping, sitting at your desk, turning your neck, and driving is a major painful effort. Not to mention the frustration and the things that you’d rather be doing than dealing with the constant pain. By this time most have tried some form of medical treatment (pain relievers, muscle relaxants, anti-inflammatory meds, injections) only to notice some temporary relief or “masking” of the pain. Maybe you have searched the internet for every exercise known for the neck or even had a regimen of physical therapy, but exercise alone doesn’t seem to make the problem go away. Eventually, the damage is bad enough that you’re desperate for relief of any kind, and at any cost. The answer is simple…you lose your quality of life!
What’s to Lose?
Researchers reporting in the British Medical Journal compared the cost-effectiveness of treatment of neck pain by chiropractic care, traditional physical therapy, and medical care for 183 people. The results of the study were that the folks treated with chiropractic got better faster and at a lower cost than more traditional treatments!