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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    I have a back, neck pain and head ache, which doctor should I consult?

    Related Topics
    Back & Neck Pain Migraines & Headaches Neurology
    My daily job requires more driving and typing on the computer. Now i am suffering from neck,lower back and head pain that does not respond to painkillers nor inflammatory pills anymore. I feel that my neck is no longer straight positioning at the back. With the headache I feel it also effects my eyesight.
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    Anonymous

    BACK AND NECK PAIN SPECIALIST

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  • Emma McDonough

    Physiotherapist

    About:I have graduated from Newcastle University in 2011with a degree in physiotherapy. I have a keen interest in women’s and men’s health. I have attended … View Profile

    Physiotherapists see a lot of headache patients and we usually look at the neck, the vertebrae and the actual bones of the neck to see whether they are in or out of alignment.
    We can usually discern if that is the problem. We can also have a look at muscle tightness which usually has a role to play when it comes to headaches with neck pain.
    Seeing a physiotherapist with this condition would be a good idea.

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    Dr Albert Huynh

    Chiropractor

    Dr. Albert Huynh has a special interest in wellness and achieving optimal health through maintaining a healthy spine, healthy eating and healthy lifestyle. He empowers … View Profile

    Chiropractors are highly trained in treating spinal, muscular, and joint pain. As such, we treat an abundance of patients who present with back, neck pain and headaches, achieving excellent results and greatly improving their quality of their life.
    Other allied health practitioners also treat these common conditions as well, so the decision is up to you on who you decide to see.

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    Dr Andrew Lim

    Chiropractor

    Andrew has a Masters in Chiropractic and his interest in Sports Chiropractic has led him to treat many athletes from junior to elite levels in … View Profile

    There seems to be many things that have been shown to help you with your symptoms of pain from manipulation, acupuncture, exercise, massage, heat/cold, vibration the list goes on.
    But it sounds like you need to find a good balance between pain relief and managing your sitting time and modifying other lifestyle factors like exercise and stress.
    Pain relief can be achieved through many different modalities as mentioned above, however if taking medications for your pain is not giving you long lasting relief it is strongly advised to seek help from a healthcare professional.
    By the sounds of it you are spending plenty of time sitting in front of the computer or in the car driving, and this seems to be directly related to your pains. I would suggest standing up regularly and performing a routine of stretches for your back, neck and hips at least every 1 hour of sitting when ever possible. Sitting has been said to be the new smoking, in that the effects of sitting can be just as bad for your health than smoking. There have been studies shown that people who sit for work generally suffer more from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity which results directly in a shortened life expectancy. 
    A trend that some offices are turning to is the standing desk. This is a desk that can be lowered or raised to allow less time sitting and more time on your feet and using the muscles of your back and spine more regularly.
    Another suggestion would be to get into a regular exercise program that will target any weaknesses or instabilities in your body, for instance, you say that your neck is losing its normal alignment, this can be seen as an instability or a lack of control of the supporting muscles and vertebra so that you can not stop yourself from losing your normal posture. Exercise is a great way to regain control, strength and stability to these types of problems. Just remember that by sitting all day, you do NOT get stronger or looser. You will inevitably lose strength and flexibility so there will be a constant need to work on these areas when you are not at work.
    Lastly, to answer your question, I don't think it is right to chose one profession over the other. Rather, whoever you chose to see should also help you to address the other issues I raised as this is now a matter of more effective management of your sitting behaviours than just pain relief. If you do not change some of these variables you will still end up with the same pain or worse over time.

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