Chiropractors vs. Drugs for Neck Pain

When you have neck pain, about the only thing you can think about is how to stop it! You may be at work focusing on completing a project when you move your neck in a way that the pain practically brings tears to your eyes. That’s all it takes for your mind to switch to think about the neck pain and what you’re going to do to overcome it.

The two choices most people immediately think about are chiropractic vs. drugs for neck pain. (Of course, taking drugs for neck pain assumes you’ll have a medical doctor appointment and medical evaluation simultaneously.) What are the pros and cons of both choices?

Pros and Cons of Chiropractic Vs Drugs for Neck Pain

Chiropractic Pros:

• Your chiropractor is a reputable health care.
• Your chiropractor offers natural methods of pain relief without any side effects. These don’t although they won’t take it hurt.
• Chiropractic manipulation restores the nervous system innervation to the spine and misaligned vertebrae, which bring nerve impulses to the different organs, muscles, and tissues so healing can begin.

Drugs for Neck Pain Pros:

• Your medical doctor is a reputable provider.
• Drugs may reduce pain but they won't take it away completely.

Chiropractic Cons:

• You'll have to create time in your schedule for appointments.
• Your chiropractor will evaluate your lifestyle, while looking for things that predispose your body to future injuries and aggravation of current issues. He may ask you to change unhealthy habits or other factors that could contribute to the issue, causing you to make the uncomfortable commitment to change.

Drug Cons:

• Side effects from medications may include slowing down the intestinal tract, severe constipation, thinning the stomach walls and making them susceptible to ulcers, GI distress, and other symptoms. Internal bleeding and hemorrhaging may also result.
• Besides pain suppression, nothing is done to restore the function of the damaged tissues such as the nerves, muscles and tissues. Thus, the damage ‘remains’ and your body has to adapt to it.
• Drugs for neck pain suppress pain making it easier to aggravate the present condition.

In your decision of chiropractic vs. drugs for neck pain, consider the pros and cons and make your best decision. At Accident & Pain Relief of St. Louis, Dr. Holland understands that pain medications may be necessary, especially in the initial phase after a car accident or work injury. His goal is to uses drug-free, non-invasive methods to decrease your reliance on drugs, while safely and efficiently easing neck pain over time.