Most people experience back or neck pain at some point in their life. When this happens, many people look for a chiropractor to help them get relief from neck and back pain. While a chiropractor can’t prescribe pain medicine, often re-aligning the bones in the neck and back can reduce the pressure on nerves and alleviate the pain.

A competent chiropractor will diagnose your neck pain and evaluate your spine as a whole. Through an examination, the chiropractor will determine areas of restricted motion, injury, and muscle spasm. The chiropractor will also take a look at your over-all posture to see if there are problems with your body mechanics as a whole.

The chiropractor will look at your over-all posture and biomechanics to see if there are any problems there. He will examine and diagnose not only your neck, but your spine as a whole. Through his examination, the chiropractor can find areas of injury, restricted movement, and muscle spasms.

A chiropractor may use an imaging device, such as an MRI or x-ray machine to help him determine the cause of the pain. A chiropractor can’t perform any invasive procedures such as surgery, so you would be referred to a medical doctor if any surgery is required. A chiropractor can’t prescribe pain medications either, so if your condition warrants it, you would be referred to your medical doctor for that as well.

After the examination, your treatment will depend on your condition. Not all neck pain is due to misalignment. Arthritis or fibromyalgia can also cause neck pain, as can other diseases. For these diseases you would be referred to a medical doctor.

Your chiropractor could perform several different treatments for a sore neck. He may use a combination of manipulation and manual techniques to realign the spine. He could use hot or cold treatments, massage, or muscle stimulation using electronics.

Not all neck pain is caused by misalignment. Neck pain could also be caused by other medical conditions such as arthritis or fibromyalgia. In these cases muscle relaxants and pain medications may need to be prescribed by your doctor.

Not everyone who goes to a chiropractor should have neck manipulation. A competent chiropractor will know when to help, and when to send you to a medical doctor for surgery. Physical therapy can also be helpful in treating some cases of neck pain.