Expert: Gerald Anzalone, D.C. - 3/11/2009

Question
I have had neck ache and discomfort for the last 6 months now, it is most problematic when i am sitting down, wether on a bus or trying to study i have to hold my head up with my hand to support my neck and to relieve the pressure off my neck, it cant hold itself up on its own without really aching and causing discomfort.
I have had 8 sessions so far with a chiropracter.. sometimes i think it feels better and most of the time it hurts just as much as it did before i started the chiropractic treatment. I had an xray, it showed that there was some loss of normal lordosis in my cervical spine and in my thoratic spine there is a moderate mid dorsal scoliosis present but no underlying bony formality in either x ray. My chiropracter said this loss of curve in my neck is why poor posture and every day wear and tear effects me more than other people. He says that the muscles in my neck are weak at the moment so this is why i have to hold my head up to relieve the pressure and ache off my neck myself.
Is this loss of curve enough to warrant no real response to the treatment yet after 8 sessions? Is the weakness of muscles a temporary problem that will dissapear with time and treatment? And can too much chiropractic treatment: the spinal manipulations cause more problems in the long run than it solves and if so what?
I am only a 21 year old girl and have never had this problem up until 6 months ago it started gradually, im also wondering why it suddenly started to be a problem?
I'm getting really down and fed up about it now thinking that its just never going to go.
I would love another chiropracters advice

Answer
Thank you for your question.

Regarding the loss of your normal spinal curvature, it is hypothesized that changes to the normal spinal curvature may predispose individuals to degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis) or chronic muscular pain, which is often considered to be a compensation for the abnormal curvature. However, this presumption is based on anecdotal evidence rather than solid scientific data in the literature.

It sounds as if you have developed abnormal postural patterns (for example, when studying) which stress your skeletal muscles, probably at least contributing to your problem. While manipulation and mobilization of joints, and soft tissue manipulation and massage, generally provide relief of musculoskeletal pain, you probably need to change some of your posture patterns and some home rehabilitative exercises which you might need to perform on a daily basis.

For example, you might try making an effort to keep your head closer to your shoulders, and not jutting forward, if you have forward carriage of the head.

If you have rounding of the shoulders, you might try a daily exercise in which you lean your forearms against the frame of a door, letting yourself slowly move forward, to stretch your muscles.

An exercise in which you push your chin backward without moving your whole head backward to can help reduce neck pain.

If you sit for a long period of time, you may need to perform an exercise in which you arch your back backwards for up to ten seconds, repeated several times.

You should discuss the possibility of home exercises with your chiropractor, and you might consider augmenting your chiropractic treatment with massage therapy and/or acupuncture, both of which complement chiropractic treatment nicely.

I hope this helps answer your question.