If you have suffered from arm or wrist pain, numbness, tingling, nagging pains in the neck, and stiffness in the upper body, chiropractic care may be just what the doctor ordered. A recent study offers more proof that you should see a chiropractor first for neck pain from cervical disc herniations (1). Medically speaking, having chiropractic treatment for neck pain, cervical disc herniations, and radiations into the arms and shoulders is safe and effective. Chiropractic care has always been safe and patients rate their experiences well as reported by Consumer Reports. Did you know that chiropractors have very low malpractice rates because manipulation of the spine is safe and effective? We have all adapted to our body styles, in good and no so good ways. Sitting and looking at a computer screen all day may actually worsen your existing problems and result in neck pain. If the problem is longstanding, a cervical disc herniation may result. Why choose chiropractic first? A chiropractic evaluation looks at you, and how you move and function, rather than just focusing on the area of symptoms. This important difference will help both you and the doctor figure out why you hurt since the reason you hurt often is not the area of pain. Chiropractors recognize that neck pain may be from many things and will evaluate you thoroughly. Through the use of muscle work, manipulation of the involved joints, and exercises to retrain and strengthen the problematic area, chiropractors have helped millions of patients with neck pain over the years. Resolving your neck pain usually does not require an MRI or another expensive test before care and it usually does not require drugs, injections, or surgeries. An x-ray is sometimes taken if the problem is chronic or from a traumatic injury. Resolving a neck problem requires knowledge and understanding of how the body works. While it is true that an MRI is the only definitive way to diagnose a cervical disc problem, it is also true that many of us may have herniations in the neck or the back, yet we have no symptoms and may have no pain or problems. These are most recently considered incidentalomas since the finding may have little to do with why you hurt. This is why these types of imaging studies are only done after a short course of treatment has failed to improve the problem. Drugless and safe chiropractic care resolve the symptoms and the malfunction that caused your pain. Most people will feel better after a short trial of care, eliminating the need for costly diagnostics such as an MRI, which helps avoid costly and risky interventions. Patients are often surprised by how effective the chiropractic approach is, and many continue to see chiropractors as they do their regular primary care provider. Chiropractors are primary care physicians for the musculoskeletal system, a unique niche in our healthcare system. Feel better in as little as one visit, book online today. 1. Outcomes From Magnetic Resonance Imaging–Confirmed Symptomatic Cervical Disk Herniation Patients Treated With High-Velocity, Low-Amplitude Spinal Manipulative Therapy: A Prospective Cohort Study With 3-Month Follow-Up Cynthia K. Peterson, RN, DC, M.Med.Eda,low asterisk,RN, DC, M.Med.Ed Cynthia K. Peterson RN, DC, M.Med.Ed Christof Schmid, DCb, Serafin Leemann, DCb, Bernard Anklin, DCb, B. Kim Humphreys, DC, PhD