RELIEF FOR LIFESTYLE-CONNECTED NECK PAIN VIA NERVOUS SYSTEM CALMING
Chronic
neck pain is very widespread
today with lifestyle issues like cellphone use,
stress, and teleworking. A meta-analysis of published randomized clinical trials regarding
the effectiveness of
manual manipulative therapy stated that it
has been explained as and demonstrated to be a safe, less
painful, and common way to ease chronic neck pain
and related neck disabilities. (1) And a paper that was just published on June 1, 2023, related that
long-standing
neck pain treated with manual therapy statistically significantly improved and reduced heart rate
variability consistent with decreased sympathetic tone (a good
outcome!) and patient-perceived pain. (2) Sympathetic tone is the
‘fight or flight’ response to stressful (like long-standing, chronic neck pain)
or unsafe situations and is part of the autonomic
nervous system
(the system of functions you do not have to think
about controlling like blood pressure, heart rate, digestion, sweating,
urination, etc.). These autonomic signals begin in the spinal cord
and extend out throughout the body. Calming sympathetic tone can
go far in managing neck pain.
The chiropractic treatment
technique we use at Vancouver Disc Centers termed Cox® Technic spinal
manipulation has been well-studied and documented
to manage neck pain, too. It’s been shown to reduce
intradiscal disc pressures which are seen with neck pain. (3) NIH and HRSA
funded studies have demonstrated clinician proficiency in learning
and delivering proper Cox® protocols after training.
(4,5,6) Further,
case studies have been published showing decrease
in pain and disability with
Cox® Technic like one case of severe neck and arm
pain that was relieved in 15 visits in 10 weeks and another with
10 treatments in 4 weeks.
(7,8) Let us relax your nerves and lessen
your neck pain! They are all spine connected!
TIP OF THE MONTH: Add Breathing Exercise with Physical Exercise
Do you think about breathing? How about when you are
exercising? Most of us don’t. Breathing just takes place without
a thought. As described in the above article,
breathing is part of the autonomic nervous system that makes sure
these types of functions continue without our
thought. A study looked at how chronic neck pain patients
breathed and if better breathing exercise could help. 68 chronic neck pain
patients were put into one of 2 groups: one with breathing
re-education exercise or routine physical therapy. The breathing group showed
significant improvement in neck flexibility, extension, endurance, and strength
of neck flexors and extensors. (9) Since this breath work seems to benefit
neck pain patients, studies are now in the works for chronic low back pain
patients. One that will study how conscious connected breathing
may help focused on how closely connected the
respiratory system is throughout the body and “bidirectionally related” to
emotion, stress, and pain. (10) Another study will have back pain patients do
exercise with specific breathing techniques and without and assess
outcomes related to pain, disability, anxiety, sleep, quality of life, health
status, and more. (11) Breathing more consciously and exercising seems
to be an up-and-coming benefit for the treatment plan of chronic back and neck
pain adn good additions to Vancouver chiropractic care!
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Lee Hazen and Cheri Hazen on The Back Doctors Podcast with
Dr. Michael Johnson as they explained their combined
efforts in helping back pain patients realize less pain and enhanced
function with The
Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management and breath coaching.
CONTACT Vancouver Disc Centers
Make your next Vancouver
chiropractic visit with Vancouver Disc Centers now. We’ll
see you soon!