Chiropractic Management of Neck Pain

Arn Strasser, DC
Chiropractor
Strasser Chiropractic Center
Portland, Oregon
To better understand the chiropractic approach to treating the cervical spine, let's look at four different patients who have consulted a chiropractor for neck pain. These examples will touch on four conditions treated in chiropractic practice:

(1) Postural and repetitive strain

(2) Traumatic injury

(3)"Slipped", herniated and ruptured disc

(4) Neck pain associated with normal aging and osteoarthritis

Each Patient is Unique
Even though we are identifying four common conditions, an important principle of chiropractic is always to treat the patient as an individual with a unique clinical picture. "Treat the patient and not the problem" is one way to state this principle. At the same time, as diagnostic tools are used to match a patient's symptoms and findings with a diagnosis, the chiropractor attempts to see what distinctive combination of factors might be contributing to the patient's symptoms. Some of these factors are diverse and include mechanical findings, hereditary considerations, and lifestyle.

What will be evident as we discuss the chiropractic approach is that the image of the chiropractor "twisting" the neck is a caricature of what actually occurs in chiropractic practice. Chiropractors have a wide range of therapeutic tools that include gentle manipulation and adjusting, and non-force and soft tissue techniques. These manual approaches are augmented by exercise programs, nutrition and lifestyle suggestions, and a partnership concept of doctor/patient care to provide a unique chiropractic approach to health.

Last Updated: 06/07/2007

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