Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is a condition that affects too many Americans these days, and the first thing many people do is head to the medicine cabinet. People take everything from over-the-counter anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers to more powerful prescription pain medications. The problems caused by taking too many of any types of those medications range from liver and kidney issues to addiction, and that is a topic for another day.Obviously I have the philosophy that you need to take care of yourself on a regular basis eat right, exercise and be mindful of your overall structure – in other words, don’t wait until you are in pain to try to treat the issues. However, we all have incidents where we are injured or have nagging, chronic pain. Instead of reaching for the closest pill bottle, options are available to help with that pain.Exercises that strengthen areas surrounding the area that is causing the pain is a great alternative to drugs. Exercise can help improve your posture, range of motion and overall functionality of your body. One of these exercises is shoulder shrugs while holding light-weight dumbbells. I have a number of other exercises I recommend for people who are suffering from chronic neck or shoulder pain.And, of course, chiropractic is a viable alternative to medications. Chiropractors receive extensive training in the musculoskeletal system, and we treat the underlying cause of your pain, not just the symptoms.So, remember, the next time you are tempted to pop a few over-the-counter meds for that nagging neck pain, other, safer alternatives are available to you!