Exercise Relieves Neck Pain

Neck pain stems from many issues, one being weak neck muscles. Remember, neck muscles degenerate just like the spinal intervertebral discs do. (1) Those discs hold the spinal vertebral bones apart while the neck muscles support the whole cervical spinal column. Neck muscles deserve etra attention! Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre appreciates all that the neck muscles contribute to a healthy spine and encourage Toronto neck pain patients to do their neck exercises!

Yet Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre knows that neck exercises are not the most glamorous or most obvious things to do when your neck hurts. So all we can offer is some evidence as to how these neck exercises can benefit your Toronto neck health and relieve neck pain. First up is new research that shows how neck disability and self care and quality of life improve for neck pain patients when they do neck exercises compared to those who don’t. How did they figure this out? The researchers studied neck pain patients with chronic whiplash associated disorder. They had some do prescribed neck exercises while the others were on a waitlist for treatment. Those who did the neck exercises significantly improved! (2) No surprise! Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre has seen this over and over in its Toronto chiropractic practice.

Now when it comes to chronic whiplash disorder, the fact that fat infiltrates the neck muscles is well known. (3) Plus another study shows that fat within the cervical multifidus muscle could directly cause postural instability while standing still. (4) So it’s really important to work on these neck muscles.  

As an example of how much neck pain is out there in one population, in one year, military F-16 pilots report regular or continuous neck and lower back pain at 22% and 31%, respectively. That percent rose from just 12% for both in 2007 to the new higher percentages in 2014. (4) These pilots need some help, and so do Toronto neck and back pain sufferers!

So in step the researchers. This set of researchers share the case of a military helicopter pilot with chronic neck pain and limited range of motion. His care was spinal manipulation to the cervical and upper thoracic spine areas as well as at-home exercise. He reports significant recovery and range of motion improvement. So the researchers conclude that spinal manipulation and exercise “may be a safe and effective treatment of uncomplicated mechanical neck pain in helicopter pilots.” (5) No surprise again! Now this study’s recommendation is right up your Toronto chiropractor’s alley: spinal manipulation and exercise! Combine the best of both: exercise and spinal manipulation. (Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre’s use of Cox Technic spinal manipulation is gentle, safe and effective!) If it works for military pilots, it can work for Toronto neck pain sufferers!

Contact Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre today. Bring your neck pain to the office, and your personalized chiropractic treatment plan incorporating spinal manipulation and simple neck exercise among other approaches may relieve your neck pain and uncover stronger neck muscles!