If you’re suffering from neck pain, you might be tempted to adjust it by yourself. However, there’s a couple of different reasons why this may not be such a good idea.
Seeking assistance from a licensed chiropractor is always a much better choice, but in case you’re still tempted to try doing it yourself, we’re going to list several reasons against it.
So, without any further ado, let’s get to the bottom of it!
1. You could potentially pinch your nerves
Cracking your neck too forcefully can possibly hurt sensitive nerve endings positioned in the neck area. This would, in turn, cause you a lot of pain and discomfort. Chances are you’d be unable to move your neck for a long period of time.
Neck pain isn’t just some small inconvenience: it can keep you from sleeping and engaging in other activities important for your daily life. Additionally, pinching your nerves puts you at risk of developing serious medical conditions. You could damage your nerves permanently, which would cause the development of chronic pain. It doesn’t happen often, but it’s a possibility that’s better avoided.
Your chiropractor is a trained and experienced professional, so they’ll know the right amount of force and pressure that needs to be put on your neck.
2. You could puncture important blood vessels
Many important blood vessels are positioned around your neck. If you’re trying to adjust your neck by yourself and you end up using too much force, you could potentially puncture those blood vessels.
As you can probably conclude, this could lead to blood clots and other dangerous consequences. It’s a risk not worth taking. Instead, you should seek advice from a chiropractor who’ll help you safely deal with your neck issues.
Of course, make sure you choose only well-reviewed chiropractors who have years of experience behind them. Your health should be your primary concern, so make sure you only leave it in the hands of professionals.
3. You might be unaware of an injury
You may have injured your neck without even knowing it! Many neck injuries happen during the night while we’re asleep, and they’re usually not that serious. Still, if you try adjusting your neck when it’s already injured, you may make things much worse!
Prevention is always better than cure, so if you suspect you might have injured yourself, it’s time to visit a chiropractor. Signs of a severe injury include headaches, nausea, and swelling. If you notice any of these symptoms, never waste time waiting around! Even if there are no indications of a severe injury, if you awake with unusual pain in your neck, it’s better to have it checked before it gets worse.
Your chiropractor won’t only treat your pain, but they’ll know where it comes from and why it occurred. They can also provide you with some great advice on how to avoid and prevent these issues from reoccurring ever again.
4. You’ll be unable to prevent future neck pain issues
If you’re not sure what the cause of your neck pain may be, you’re at risk of repeating the behavior that leads to your injury. So, even if you manage to get some relief by adjusting your neck yourself, it will only be for a short while.
Without professional assistance, you’ll never know what caused your pain in the first place. What this means is that you’ll be unable to prevent it from happening again. If you continuously injure your neck, you might even develop some painful medical conditions.
As we mentioned before, a chiropractor’s role isn’t only to help you ease the pain, it’s also to help you make some lifestyle changes that could prevent it from happening in the future.
Chiropractors such as www.jonasputzhammer.de will also offer advice on nutrition and exercise that will keep all of your joints healthy for the years to come. They won’t only treat your symptoms, they’ll also treat the cause.
5. You can move your vertebra further from where it should be
Your vertebra could be misaligned in 16 different directions! You have no way of knowing where it should be moved, so you’re risking moving it away from its natural position. This is why chiropractors don’t try adjusting their own necks either. Even when you’re a trained professional, it’s difficult to examine the neck when you can’t reach certain angles properly.
So, once you go to your chiropractic appointment, they’re not going to be adjusting your neck right away. They’ll do detailed examinations first so they can learn which joint needs to be adjusted. It took them years of extensive training and studying to be able to do this properly, so you can’t possibly expect to do as good of a job yourself.
6. Your endorphins might be deceiving you
You might have cracked your neck before and felt immediate relief…Why shouldn’t you do it again? It helped you before, it will help you now, right? Wrong! This doesn’t mean you’ve actually fixed anything!
First of all, research shows that the “popping” sound that occurs when you crack your neck makes your body release endorphins (happy chemicals). These will be present in your bloodstream for 10-20 minutes and then the pain will return. So, it’s all placebo! Your body is tricking you into thinking you’re feeling better!
A chiropractor won’t provide you with temporary relief, they’ll align your vertebra and fix the root of the issue. You’ll also learn how to improve the health of your joints, so you don’t have to deal with similar issues anytime soon.
The bottom line
Trying to adjust your own neck can lead to serious injury. It’s not a good idea, especially if the issue persists for longer than 6 weeks and you’re noticing signs of swelling. Your neck is a vital spot of your body and it’s closely connected to important joints, blood vessels, nerves, and muscles. Neck pain is a serious matter that should only be dealt with by a professional. So, if you’re experiencing anything similar, make sure to schedule an appointment with an experienced chiropractor, and keep your joints as healthy as possible! You can check North York Chiropractic Clinic and ask for a schedule.
