for Neck Pain / Headaches

Chiropractic Care for

Neck Pain and Headaches

Today, more and more patients are

seeking care for upper back and neck pain. 

Not too long ago, the primary reason for seeking care at any medical facility was for lower back pain.


Here’s why we think it’s changed – Reality is, most of us spend several hours a day hunched over a cell phone and other media devices. Most of the patients subjected to these concerns are young and may be setting themselves up for recurring problems in the future. Though, no age is immune.



Unmistakably, looking down for extended periods of time has a dramatic effect on the function of your spine and surrounding muscle tissues. Don’t be fooled – this physical effect is not positive in any way.


Common symptoms include generalized neck pain and soreness, headaches, muscle spasm and more.

Additionally, these issues may lead to upper extremity or shoulder dysfunction, primarily due to compensatory patterns that are innately initiated by our body to prevent further injury. More advanced cases may irritate nerve tissues, causing pain to radiate into the arm and hand or perpetuate numbness into the upper extremity.


Here are some good tips to avoid pain from perpetual use of today’s technology:


  • Try holding your phone as level as possible, this puts less pressure on your sub-occipital muscles at the base of you head


  • Try taking a rest and incorporate stretch breaks from your technology devices at least every 20-30 minutes.



  • A general rule of thumb is to keep your head more upright than looking down. Ideally, to check your posture, your ear canals should line up with the front of your shoulder, right by your acromioclavicular (AC) joint.


Something to try at home

Try this: hold a weighted medicine ball close to your chest for 10 seconds. After this, hold that same weighted ball forward with arms straight in front of you for the same period of time. Which one is perceived as being heavier? The second scenario, of course! This same rule applies to your body, the ball being synonymous with your head. The further forward we look down, the farther our head protrudes forward and offsets our center of gravity. Therefore, muscle tissues that are utilized to hold our heads and necks in upright posture have to work harder to maintain normalcy. The end result of this repeatedly occurring is generally associated with neck and upper back pain.


Pain from use of perpetual hand held technology devices responds well to chiropractic care. Chiropractic manipulation aids in improving joint dysfunction. Additionally, soft tissue therapies and muscular strengthening aim to decrease overactivity in the muscles causing neck, back or shoulder pain.



Ask yourself this: How many people do you see every day that don’t have at least one device on hand? This highlights a cause for concern and should be addressed prior to sliding down that slippery slope! Please, be proactive rather than reactive! Seek out neck pain and headache treatment in South Bellevue. Your body will thank you later!

What medical doctors think of Chiropractic Care

In the past, chiropractic got mixed reviews from physicians. However, in early 2017, The American College of Physicians released new guidelines. It now supports the use of nonpharmacologic therapies, such as chiropractic and acupuncture, as first-line treatments for low back pain, before using medication.

Increasingly, studies in mainstream medical journals are demonstrating the benefits of chiropractic for back and joint pain. A 2017 review in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that spinal manipulation reduces lower back pain. And a 2013 study published in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage found that patient education combined with 12 chiropractic treatments (twice a week for six weeks) were more effective for hip OA than a daily stretching program or patient education alone. Reports from the chiropractor-led spine program at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Plymouth, Massachusetts, are also positive: Most patients with bad backs experience significant pain relief in about five visits.

But while research shows clear benefits for musculoskeletal pain, namely of the back and neck, its effects beyond pain-relief are not known. And the jury on manual therapy for hip and knee arthritis is still out. “There is no clear evidence that chiropractic or any other treatment offers long-term change in the X-ray findings in arthritis,” says Dr. Haldeman.

The bottom line, he says, is chiropractic is worth a try. “However, if any clinician says her treatment will permanently cure your arthritis, you should walk out,” he warns. “If you don’t see improvement within four to 10 treatments, either switch chiropractors or try a new treatment path.”

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