Blog: Physical Therapy & Chiropractic

Don’t Let This Be a Pain in the Neck

Do you spend several hours a day at the computer? If so, it’s important to know that this is one of the leading causes of chronic neck pain. Other causes include pinched nerves, muscle imbalance, poor posture, and trauma. Neck pain can manifest in different ways. Besides pain, symptoms may include stiffness and tingling if sensitive nerves in the neck area are involved. Certain movements may aggravate the symptoms of neck pain.

If you suffer from chronic neck pain, you are not alone. According to Harvard Health Publications, seven out of ten Americans will deal with neck pain at some point in their lives. The good news is that simple exercises (as prescribed by your physical therapist) can offer relief from your chronic neck pain. If you’ve been living with neck pain for several weeks, your pain is considered chronic. Your physical therapist can use a variety of techniques including manual therapy and therapeutic exercises to stretch and strengthen the sensitive muscles in the neck region. This is important for the long term relief of chronic neck pain.

The Key Factors in Recovery - Exercise and Posture

Controlled, supervised exercise can help improve blood flow to the muscles in the neck and restore muscle balance, in addition to helping the individual regain joint mobility. A physical therapist will create an exercise program that can be completed at home, or at work. In some cases, the use of weight cuffs and dumbbells helps build muscle strength. The number of sets and repetitions is carefully planned, and the technique, range of motion, posture and breathing of all your movements is supervised by the physical therapist. Once your pain level reduces, a physical therapist will help you regain control of your muscles to reduce pain and get you back to full function.

Improving posture is an important component of treatment for chronic pain. Poor posture can lead to chronic neck pain. Have you thought about the amount of time you are at your computer? Or even how you sit in your chair? Your physical therapist will evaluate your posture and help you improve it with simple stretching and strengthening movements.

When you are at home or at work, hot and cold packs and a neck pillow can also be helpful. Your therapist can teach you simple techniques to promote muscle relaxation and help reduce pain.

The Importance of Physical Therapy

If you have been dealing with chronic neck pain for several weeks, it’s time to call your physical therapist. As the community’s recognized experts in physical therapy, we can diagnose your pain and help rule out potential concerns such as a herniated disc.

An assessment from a physical therapist is an important step in the fight against chronic neck pain. After the initial evaluation, expect your physical therapist to create a program combining exercise, stretching, postural correction and relaxation to help you recover from chronic neck pain. You will move better and feel better.

You don’t have to learn to live with chronic neck pain anymore, not on our watch. Schedule an appointment with us today and we’ll help you get started on the road to a pain-free lifestyle.

Health Update: Neck Pain

What Is This Pain in My Neck!

“When I woke up this morning, I couldn’t move my neck! Every time I try to move it, I feel sharp pain on the left side of the neck shooting down into the shoulder blade. It just came out of nowhere!”

Chances are, you are suffering from a common condition called torticollis, which literally means, “twisted neck” after the Latin terms of “torti” (twisted) and “collis” (neck). The common name for this is “wry neck,” and it’s basically a painful muscle spasm, like a “Charlie-horse” but located in the neck muscles. Usually, a person wakes up in the morning with this and the cause is often related to sleeping with the window being open or a fan or air conditioner blowing on you. It can also relate to a “cold settling in the muscle” after a cold or flu virus. Trauma such as falling or a car accident can also cause torticollis. However, most of the time, patients with torticollis are not sure what caused the abrupt onset of symptoms.

Usually, torticollis will gradually improve over a 2 week time frame. However, it only takes a few days to a week (at the most) if you receive chiropractic adjustments. Most importantly, without treatments, the sharp pain can last a week and can severely limit your activity, often prohibiting work as well as your desired “fun” activities. Hence, most people prefer having this treated as opposed to “waiting it out.” In some cases, it can last longer than a month and in rare cases even longer, so getting this treated is highly recommended. Also, try to get in for a treatment immediately before the muscle spasm really sets up. We find this to be the most effective approach. Here are a list of symptoms and treatment suggestions for torticollis:

Acute Torticollis Symptoms
Muscle spasms
Neck and shoulder pain
Neck and spine contortion (neck twisted to right or left side of body)

Pain Relief Treatments for Acute Torticollis
Chiropractic neck and spinal adjustment
Physical Therapy
Stretching
Analgesics
Heat packs
Muscle relaxants
Rubs and ointments (Icy Hot, BioFreeze)
Massage with essential oils

courtesy: Forest Hills Rehabilitation
http://www.ForestHillsRehab.com