A chiropractic neck adjustment is when your chiropractor readjusts the vertebrae in your spine, moving them back into alignment and shifting the joints slightly. As your neck adjusts to its new position, you may feel pain, but this is normal. Muscles that weren’t being used before are now stimulated, which often leads to soreness after chiropractic neck manipulations.
At Naples Community Injury Center, our providers offer chiropractic adjustments that help relieve pain and provide improved health long term. If you have significant neck pain after the chiropractor, let us know, and we may be able to prescribe additional therapy to reduce the pain and swelling after your next adjustment.
To learn more about our chiropractic treatments and how our practitioners can help you, contact our clinic. We are accepting new patients now. Call (239) 631-5445 for your initial intake appointment.
Shifted Joints and Muscle Stimulation May Cause Soreness After a Chiropractic Neck Adjustment
While many people report pain relief following chiropractic adjustments, others experience increased pain and discomfort. This can be alarming since they often see the chiropractor because of significant pain and stiffness.
When you consider what happens during a chiropractic adjustment, it makes sense that you might experience soreness. Your chiropractor readjusts your vertebrae into proper alignment, shifting the joints slightly. This can cause irritation, inflammation, and pain as muscles that weren’t being used before help your neck remain in its new position.
Many people compare this soreness to how you feel after an intense workout with heavy weights. Your muscles are tense and sore, and some actions may be uncomfortable. However, your body adjusts quickly, and the soreness fades, often within 24 to 48 hours.
If you experience severe neck pain after a neck or spinal alignment, let your chiropractor know. Many practices provide therapies that could complement your adjustment and help reduce pain and swelling. This could include massage, E-STIM, laser therapy, and more. These therapies increase blood flow to the affected muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues. This encourages healing while reducing pain.
What Happens During a Chiropractic Neck Adjustment?
When you seek chiropractic care for neck pain or stiffness, you will likely receive cervical manipulation, also known as a neck adjustment. These techniques involve adjusting the top seven vertebrae, which bear the weight of the head. Of all the vertebrae in the spine, these seven must have the most movement and flexibility because they play a role in head movement.
Your chiropractor will adjust your neck, applying pressure in specific areas to better align the vertebrae and allow them to move more freely. This can relieve tension and stiffness, restoring your range of motion. Your pain should decrease, along with regaining freedom of movement.
If you have a sore neck after the chiropractor, it is generally because the adjustment was effective in separating and realigning the vertebrae. When the doctor addresses the problem, temporary soreness may replace the pain and stiffness you have been experiencing.
However, these adjustments are often effective for treating the underlying cause of your pain and stiffness, preventing you from having to use opioid pain relievers or undergoing surgery for the condition.
How to Manage Pain After a Chiropractic Neck Adjustment
There are some things you can do to reduce or manage your pain and soreness after a chiropractic neck adjustment. This includes some habits that could improve your overall health if you have them in your life regularly.
- Stay hydrated and eat healthy foods. When you nourish your body properly, it is better able to heal and recover quickly.
- Ensure you get a good night’s sleep. Your body recovers best when you get the rest you need.
- Follow your chiropractic care plan. Your chiropractor prescribes a series of adjustments and other therapies to best meet your needs. Skipping appointments could cause additional soreness.
- Ask your chiropractor about pain relief. Depending on your needs, they may recommend taking a pain reliever before your adjustment or following your appointment.
If your post-adjustment pain is severe or limits your activities for more than 24 hours, your chiropractor may be able to provide additional advice or complementary therapies that reduce the tension and soreness after your next adjustment. This could include prescribing massage, soft tissue manipulation, ultrasound therapy, laser treatments, or other options that increase blood flow to the area to encourage healing.
Get a Neck Adjustment and Other Therapy From Our Chiropractic Team
The Naples Community Injury Center team has three doctors with more than 60 years of combined experience. We also have numerous other therapists and practitioners on our staff. Together, we assess, prescribe, and perform a wide range of therapies to help our patients manage their symptoms, treat the underlying cause, recover from their injuries, and prevent similar issues in the future.
Our patients come from all phases of life. We’ve worked with young athletes with sports injuries and senior citizens recovering from falls. If you have symptoms from a musculoskeletal injury or pain and stiffness in your neck or back, we can help you. We commonly see patients with:
- Work-related injuries
- Car accident injuries
- Slips and fall injuries
- Sports and recreation injuries
- Chronic use injuries
Our Providers May Recommend Physical Therapy in Addition to Your Neck Adjustment
Our therapy and rehabilitation programs go beyond providing a chiropractic neck adjustment or spinal manipulation. In addition to prescribing chiropractic care, we also use physiotherapy and other solutions to provide a comprehensive program that addresses our patients’ needs holistically.
We seek to provide care that helps our clients avoid invasive surgeries and opioid pain relievers. We address the underlying cause of your symptoms, providing lasting relief. In addition, we prescribe strength-building and flexibility exercises for each patient. This allows us to help them develop better overall health and prevent additional injuries in the future.
Call Naples Community Injury Center for Your Initial Intake Exam
At Naples Community Injury Center, our chiropractors prescribe and perform neck adjustments daily. We know how effective this therapy can be, but also that soreness is possible following treatment.
Let our doctors assess your condition and determine the ideal course of action for your symptoms. Our team can answer your questions and schedule your initial appointment with our doctors today.
Contact us online or by calling (239) 631-5445 now.
