What a Rational Chiropractor Can Do For You

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ChiroBase.org

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" What a Rational Chiropractor Can Do For You " :

" Neck Manipulation

Manipulation may improve the mobility of a cervical spine that has been

stiffened by osteoarthritis or by scar tissue from an old injury. Disc

degeneration caused by wear and tear or by injury is a common cause of

loss of range of motion in the cervical spine and can often benefit from

manipulation. Neck manipulation or mobilization may improve range of

motion and provide relief for neck pain and muscle-tension headache. But

remember that benefit must be weighed against risk. Neck manipulation

should not be used unless symptoms indicate a specific need for it. It

should be done gently with care to avoid excessive rotation that could

damage the patient's vertebral artery. Neck manipulation should not be

done immediately after an injury that causes acute neck pain. When the

acute pain subsides, usually after a few days, manipulation may be

useful to relieve fixations and restore normal joint mobility. Once the

patient is symptom-free, it should be discontinued. A small percentage

of chiropractors advocate neck manipulation to " balance " or " realign "

the spine no matter where the patient's problem is located. I recommend

avoiding such chiropractors.

Neck manipulation is safest when neck rotation does not exceed 50

degrees. When rotation is not indicated or appropriate, special

techniques can be used with the patient in a face-down position so that

manipulative traction can be applied or there can be thumb contact with

specific spinal segments.

Patients who have pain caused by acute inflammation, as in rheumatoid

arthritis or spondylitis, will rarely benefit from neck manipulation.

Damage to upper cervical connective tissues in rheumatoid arthritis can

also be a contraindication. When in doubt about whether you should

undergo neck manipulation, check with an orthopedist. A competent

chiropractor should not object to your seeing a specialist for a second

opinion. "

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I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org