Back Pain and Neck Pain: Your Top 5 FAQs Answered
If you are suffering from back pain or neck pain, you may be wondering if chiropractic care is an effective 
#1: What causes back pain?
A personal injury, auto accident injury, sports injury or workplace injury that affects the spine can cause back pain. A misalignment in the spine, also known as a spinal subluxation, may place pressure on nearby nerves, triggering pain. Poor posture is also a contributing factor for back pain. If you spend many hours sitting at work hunched over a computer screen, this poor posture can cause lumbar spine compression.
#2: What causes neck pain?
Poor posture and whiplash injuries are the two leading causes for neck pain. Just like with back pain, poor posture can compress the spine. When the head leans forward and the shoulders hunch, this affects proper cervical spine alignment. A whiplash injury can also affect this alignment. Even at speeds as slow as 5mph, the force of a rear-impact auto accident can whip the neck backwards and forwards, affecting spinal alignment and triggering neck pain.
#3: Is a chiropractor qualified to treat my back pain and neck pain?
Yes, our Harrisburg chiropractic physician Dr. Skocik is qualified to diagnose and treat musculoskeletal injuries, including those injuries to the spine that cause back pain and neck pain. Dr. Skocik has been treating patients for more than 23 years; he has substantial experience working with patients to provide drug-free, non-invasive pain management solutions. Dr. Skocik uses computerized diagnostic tests, such as EMG testing or JTECH testing, to help pinpoint the specific location of your pain.
#4: How does chiropractic care treat back and neck pain?
Chiropractic care treats back and neck pain by correcting the spinal subluxation that is triggering this pain. For example, lumbar spine compression can cause a herniated disc to compress nearby nerves, trigger a radiating pain sensation. If this disc compresses the sciatic nerve, you may suffer from a painful condition known as sciatica. Chiropractic adjustments are gentle, precise and highly targeted to address the specific subluxation that is causing your pain. By restoring proper alignment to the spine, chiropractic care provides long-term pain relief.
#5: Can spinal decompression therapy help?
Yes, spinal decompression therapy can help treat back pain and neck pain. Spinal decompression therapy is a cutting-edge treatment that creates space between compressed vertebrae in the cervical and lumbar spine. This treatment relieves compression and alleviates pressure on the nearby nerves that trigger pain. Depending on the severity of your pain, spinal decompression therapy may be an important complement to chiropractic adjustments. Together, these two treatments help deliver maximum back and neck pain relief.