Chronic Neck Pain

Successful treatment plans for chronic neck pain should include home care counseling for postures and ergonomics.

There are usually modifications that can be made in the patient’s positions & pastures during different activities—e.g., computer use, kitchen chores, sitting, standing, and sleeping—that will help.

An important key to change is the patient’s developing an awareness of their body’s positioning, and this may take some practice. I often recommend setting a timer, using it as a reminder to “check in”—where is my head? am I slumping? leaning in to see my computer monitor?

Using the right pillow for sleeping, changing the height of one’s computer monitor so that it is at eye level, getting computer glasses with corrective lenses if one is having a hard time seeing the screen, raising the height of one’s work space on the kitchen counter—-all are simple things that can make a big difference.

Accentuated Curve in the Low Back

  An abnormally accentuated lumbar curve, whether congenital or acquired, can result in disequilibrium and vulnerability in the lower back.

Sometimes this is partially alleviated with postural counseling, Activator adjustments, and specific exercises. If the patient habitually “locks back” their knees when standing, changing this habit often helps a lot.

Ergonomic counseling about sitting, sleeping, etc. can also help.

But often these are only partial solutions. A patient with this condition may need more consistent chiropractic treatments, the frequency of which can be judged according to what works for each individual. 

A Torqued Tibia

Rotational stresses acting on the proximal tibia (where the large bone in the lower leg, the tibia, articulates at the knee) are common in people who drive a lot, e.g. for a job.

The tibia is not meant to rotate at this joint, but will tolerate some rotational stresses for short periods of time or if the stress is not repetitive or chronic.

Patients whose work requires a lot of driving often come in with aberrance and pain in their right (gas / brake foot) knee. Usually I find, and adjust to relieve / correct, rotational stress of the involved proximal tibia. 

Medicare "Advantage" Plans

If you are eligible for Medicare, but choose a Medicare Advantage Plan, you have opted for private insurance that is outside of Medicare.

Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private companies, e.g. Humana, United Health, Blue Cross, etc., and often include benefits not provided by regular Medicare, such as vision, dental, etc. 

This type of private insurance plan must conform in certain ways to the rules of Medicare--such as limiting charges for certain services--but is administered by the private companies which sell the plans. Patients still have many of the rights and protections provided under original Medicare.

Whiplash From a Fall

Being rear-ended is not the only way one can suffer whiplash. A fall that “whips” the head and neck will have a similar result, and often takes a similarly extended recovery time.

Though the cause is different, my treatment plan is the same:  rest, anti-inflammatories such as ice and topical arnica, gentle chiropractic adjustments with the Activator instrument, and active care as soon as possible (stretches and exercises) to assist healing.