Research shows Chiropractic most
effective to relieve Neck Pain
By Dr. Jennah Dieter

At least three quarters of people will suffer from neck pain at some point in their lives and many will struggle to find the most effective treatment.

When it comes to neck pain the best medicine is no medicine at all according to a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine on Jan 3, 2012.¹ The study, funded by the NIH, tracked 272 patients with recent-onset neck pain who were treated using three different methods for 12 weeks: chiropractic adjustments, home exercises, and medication. Chiropractic care was the most effective of the three methods to relieve neck pain. Furthermore, those who used a chiropractor or exercised were more than twice as likely to be pain free compared to those who relied on medicine.

Reprinted from the Wall Street Journal, 1/3/12

“Doesn’t surprise me a bit,” Dr. Lee Green, professor of family medicine at the University of Michigan told ABC News. “Neck pain is a mechanical problem, and it makes sense that mechanical treatment works better than a chemical one.”

Chiropractic care focuses on getting to the root cause of pain versus treating symptoms with medications. The chiropractic adjustment functions to relieve nerve stress by promoting proper motion of the spinal segments, reducing muscle tension, and restoring proper posture. Studies have also showed that the chiropractic adjustment reduces inflammation, which can help reduce pain.²

The cause…
Neck pain is most often a result of nerve stress or irritation due to spinal misalignment, reduced range of motion, muscle tension, and inflammation which can occur when the body is subject to stress. Furthermore, the force of gravity combined with poor posture and repetitive activities can pull our head forward causing our normal forward neck curve to straighten. This places more stress on the delicate spinal cord and nerves, causing the neck and upper back muscles to overcompensate with increased tension and spasm. Just like if you were to straighten a banana with its peel intact, squishing the insides of the banana; if you were to straighten the curve of the neck, the spinal cord would get squished or compressed. Not only can this cause pain, but because the nerves and spinal cord control everything in the body, nerve stress can result in diminished function of the body as a whole.

The treatment…
In my practice, I find the most effective treatment for neck pain combines both chiropractic adjustments and therapeutic exercises for faster and longer lasting results. Once the spine is in proper alignment, exercises help by promoting range of motion, restoring normal neck curve, and relaxing neck muscles. The research showed that the best type of exercise is head retraction, or a chicken-like maneuver of the head, in which you pull your head back and then tilt the chin slightly downward.

Care should also focus on reducing the physical, chemical and mental stress in order for long term benefits to be realized. Physical stressors may include: poor posture while driving, texting, computing or sleeping, repetitive activities, poor exercise form, lack of exercise or stretching, improper lifting techniques and heavy backpacks or bags. Once correction has been gained through chiropractic adjustments and exercises, lifestyle changes are paramount to maintenance of spinal health. And since life just happens and we can’t all live in a bubble, spinal adjustments can help us adapt better to the daily stresses in our lives that are sometimes unavoidable!

1. Spinal Manipulation, Medication, or Home Exercise for Subacute Neck Pain: A Randomized Trial. Bronfort et al. Ann Intern Med January 3, 2012 156:1-10;

2. Teodorczyk-Injeyan JA, et al. SMT reduces inflammatory cytokines but not substance P production in normal subjects. JMPT, 2006; 29:14-21.