5 Drug-Free Ways to Remedy Neck Pain

If you're one of the millions of Americans struggling with neck pain, you're not alone. More than 25% of US adults are affected by this common condition. While chronic neck pain is rarely caused by a serious underlying medical condition like cancer, it can still significantly impact your daily life, making it difficult to function and sleep well.

But don't worry; there's hope for those seeking a drug-free solution to neck pain. At Joint Effort Chiropractic in White Plains, New York, our skilled providers specialize in treating the root cause of your pain, providing lasting relief without medications or endless appointments.

In this article, we'll share five of our favorite noninvasive, drug-free techniques for relieving neck pain. So keep reading to discover how you can ease your discomfort and start feeling better today.

1. Spinal decompression

Spinal decompression therapy is a noninvasive mechanical procedure. It involves lying down on a specialized machine with a gliding track that’s connected to a sophisticated computer.

The FDA-cleared computer device gently stretches your spine using a specific pull-and-relax pattern, causing your neck muscles to relax and creating a vacuum effect. This reduces pressure on the affected area, drawing the bulging or herniated disc material back toward the center of the disc and off the nerves.

In addition to its therapeutic effects, spinal decompression therapy helps improve spinal fluid circulation, facilitating healing. While multiple sessions may be required to achieve optimal results, each session typically lasts between 20 and 25 minutes, depending on your specific needs.

Overall, spinal decompression is a natural, noninvasive way to treat bulging or herniated discs and other causes of spinal pain.

2. Chiropractic care 

Chiropractic care is a natural approach to relieving your pain. This drug-free treatment doesn’t rely on invasive procedures or medications to relieve you. 

Chronic neck pain often develops when you have compressed, or pinched, nerves in the spine or when the joints in your spine get stuck for a variety of reasons. This can lead to mechanical dysfunction and ultimately causes neck pain. 

At Joint Effort Chiropractic, we address the dysfunction in your neck and restore the structures to their proper movement patterns. Your provider also works to reduce the tension and swelling that affects the nerves in your neck and increases your pain.

3. Active release technique (ART)

Active release technique is an established type of manual therapy using myofascial release. If scar tissue or myofascial adhesions causes neck pain, ART offers an effective drug-free way to remedy your condition. 

First, your provider identifies the areas in the tissue that have a problem. They then isolate and target the area, combining very specific patented movements and tension on the muscles to break up the scar tissue. ART also stimulates blood flow to the area, helping your tissues heal faster. 

At Joint Effort Chiropractic, our goal with ART is to break up the scar tissue and restore function and range of motion to your neck so you can live pain-free — without needing medication or ongoing physical therapy. 

The beauty of ART is that you’ll experience effective results right away. Some patients only require one visit, but most patients experience optimal results after 4-7 visits, depending on the severity of their condition.  

4. The Graston Technique® (GT)

The Graston Technique is another patented type of manual therapy similar to ART; however, instead of their hands, your provider uses specially designed stainless steel tools to release areas with adhesions, or scar tissue, in your soft tissues. 

This scar tissue changes the organization of your tissue fibers, causing problems with range of motion, function, and pain. GT therapy breaks down this tissue and increases blood flow and cellular activity in the treatment area, speeding healing.  

One of the best things about GT therapy is that it delivers results quickly. If soft tissue adhesions cause neck pain, you can expect dramatic relief after one session and optimal after a few sessions. 

What’s more? Because GT therapy causes the adhesions to break apart, your muscles are restored to the correct position. That means you can expect neck pain relief that lasts when combined with therapeutic stretching and exercises.   

5. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT)

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) stimulates the healing of your musculoskeletal tissues using specific wavelengths of light. The targeted tissues react by triggering your body’s natural healing response, which reduces inflammation and pain and speeds healing. 

Because LLLT addresses the underlying issue triggering your neck pain, you’ll experience lasting pain relief once your treatment sessions are complete. Your Joint Effort Chiropractic provider evaluates your condition to prescribe you the right number of sessions. 

Don’t live with chronic neck pain! Get drug-free relief with the help of the experts at Joint Effort Chiropractic in White Plains. Schedule a consultation online or over the phone today.