I would choose a good PT over a chiro... A PT can assess your posture and advise you what you'll need to improve it, which should help your neck issue. They can help with any strength training or stretching involved and refer you for myofascial release, or do it themselves if licensed. This will lead to longer lasting results, maybe even permanent with light maintenance you can do on your own. A chiropractor will just adjust you and you'll have to keep going every time your posture slips off again, which is likely to happen if your issue developed over time. The muscles will just go back to their tone prior to adjustment and throw it off again. I would only go to a chiro if you had an accident injury recently and needed to pop something back in place. that adjustment is more likely to stick, since muscles and other tissues haven't had time to adjust (change) to the new incorrect posture. I SMH every time i read on Facebook that someone is going back to their chiro for their weekly/monthly/quarterly adjustment. I guess it's easier than putting in actual work fromt ime to time, but it's not the only, or best, option for someone.
Forget a PT or Chiropractor. Go to the Doctor and get x-rays done. Your Doctor will be best poised to recommend who you go see next.
Go see this Doctor <iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/zCh7z5EwYF8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
/thread. I don't think Clutchfans is as helpful of problems with the body as you might think it is, OP.
See a doctor, but honestly, I would try a good, experienced, word-of-mouth recommended chiropractor before I had my back operated on. From personal experience with neck popping, I rarely feel the need to do it when I'm eating right and working out my upper body with weights. It keeps my neck and back nice and loose. When I slack off on diet and exercising and am stressed, my neck tightens up more from stress and I pop it more. I would also suggest getting fit before getting cut on.
For me I would find a good sports chiropractor and try conservative care first. Some people may have bad experiences with chiros but then again with every profession they have good and bad eggs.
I have had horrible back problems since an accident in HS that killed my friend. I was the passenger and woke up next to him with his head against the steering wheel. Since that time, my MRI's show the my pain is largely due to a structural misalignment in my vertebrae. The only way to correct it is surgery. Anything related to your spine is risky, and IMO not worth it. I wonder if your neck is part of starting back pain. My suggestion that worked for me: 1. Start Physical therapy to strengthen the affected area. 2. Get some pain killers for the breakthrough pain *I know pills are an unpopular answer because of the abuse potential, but if you use them correctly, they are amazing for horrendous pain.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/1LzBx--DgII" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Maybe you have one of those in your neck. In all seriousness I wish the best for you and your health.
Well I saw my doctor. It's not good. They took a **** load of xrays by the order of the doctor, an excessive amount if you ask me. I definitely screwed up my neck completely. I will be in physical therapy for over 6 weeks, and if that does not work or if I still have the problem I have to see a specialist spine doctor my doctor said I potentially "crushed" the top of my spine/vertebrae to where it's a little off or warped at the top, due to the popping. She showed me what a healthy spine looks like and what mine potentially looks like. It's really off. This would cause the nerves to compress which would be the cause of the shooting pains into my hands, arms, and fingers. I have to stop popping it or it could lead to further damage or even paralysis. But I've been doing it for so long and it will be difficult to stop. But yeah my neck is all out of wack. Kinda scared to be honest. So I have to deal with the pain that comes with stopping the popping. Just waiting for the xrays to come back so I can move on from here and do whatever is necessary to fix the problem or at least take the edge off. Wish I never started doing this in the first place. Wish me luck.
X-rays are very basic imaging. If you do not get better within 6 weeks of therapy and still having radiating pain down the arm I would recommend a MRI.
I wish you all the best. It's a good sign that they are going to try PT first. Even if they have to do surgery, it's not the end of the world. I am back to normal and very happy to have gotten past the pain caused from the bad disc in my neck.
