Medical Researchers Study Neck Pain Treatment

Medical researchers estimate that nearly 70% of individuals experience neck pain at same point in their life. This makes neck pain incredibly common, but that does not mean it should be considered normal. Neck pain typically ruins your day. However, knowing the most effective neck pain treatment gets you back to functioning at your best quickly!

If you visit a primary care physician for musculoskeletal pain, there is a very good chance you’ll leave with a prescription medication. Medications often include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), acetaminophen (Tylenol), muscle relaxant (Flexeril or Diazepam), or even opioids (OxyContin or Vicodin). Thankfully, opioids get prescribed less frequently due to the highly publicized addiction problems they pose. The combination of NSAIDs and muscle relaxers tend to be the favorite neck pain treatment in the offices of most general practice or family practice doctors.

However, better options than medications exist for neck pain treatment! These options are superior not only for pain relief, but also for correcting the biomechanical issues to ensure this does not become a recurring problem for you.

Medication vs Chiropractic Care & Exercise

Medical research supports chiropractic care and exercise, instead of medications, for neck pain treatment in both the short term and long term! The Annals of Internal Medicine published this research in January of 2012. That’s over 10 years ago! Yet medication is still the primary neck pain treatment. The results of this study will amaze you!

Individuals in the chiropractic and exercise groups were more than twice as likely to be pain free compared to those in the medication group.

Researchers studied 272 individuals with neck pain over a 12-week period, dividing participants into three groups: medication, chiropractic care, and home exercises with instructions. Chiropractic care and exercise outperformed medication after 8, 12, 26, and 52 weeks, with individuals in the chiropractic and exercise groups more than twice as likely to be pain free compared to those in the medication group. More specifically, over 30% of individuals who received chiropractic care and home exercises reported being pain free. Compared to only 13% of individuals treated with medication reported being pain free.

If you are experiencing neck pain, we want to help you get out of pain and back to the activities you enjoy! We also want to show you the best exercises and other ways to stay pain free. Schedule a your appointment or free consultation today: schedule here.