Are you struggling with neck pain that just won’t go away? Is it interfering with your ability to perform everyday activities, like work and sleep? You’d be one of 80% of people in the U.S. who experience neck pain at some point in their lifetimes. You’re also one of the 20% to 50% who experience it each year.
Fortunately, there are ways you can address your neck pain so that your quality of life can begin to improve. You can find out more details about neck pain causes and why physical therapy can be effective at addressing the causes here.
What are some of the most common conditions that can cause neck pain?
There are a wide variety of conditions that can cause a person to experience pain in their neck, including:
- Arthritis — One of the most common conditions that can lead to neck pain is arthritis. Arthritis is a condition that causes joint inflammation. When the joints in the jaw, neck and shoulders become arthritic, the result is often pain and stiffness.
- Muscle tension — When the muscles in the neck become overly tense, a person will usually experience neck pain or discomfort. Muscle tension can develop from chronic stress and repetitive use of certain muscles. Tension can cause limited mobility, poor flexibility, pain and discomfort. It can even lead to other issues if left untreated. Muscle tension in the neck can spread to the shoulders, the head and the back, especially if symptoms are ignored for too long.
- Poor posture — Someone who has poor posture is more likely to develop neck pain. Chronic slouching and bending the head and neck forward can negatively affect the vertebrae that run from the base of the skull to the tailbone. Whether you like to play video games every day or you work from home at a computer, it’s important to make sure that you maintain good posture for the health of your neck.
- Trauma or injury to the neck — If you’ve recently been involved in an automobile accident and sustained an injury like whiplash, this could be the source of your pain. People who play sports are also more likely to sustain traumatic injuries to their necks and experience pain or discomfort as a result. If you have a traumatic neck injury, it’s essential that you visit a medical professional who can determine the extent of your injury. Untreated neck trauma can be dangerous and potentially fatal if not properly addressed by the right professionals.
Let us help you find relief from your pain: request your appointment today.
What can you expect a physical therapist to use during treatment for someone experiencing neck pain?
Are you unsure of what to expect from your physical therapist before you start treatment for neck pain? You can read through some of the most common treatment techniques below to get a better idea of what you might experience.
- Manual therapy — One of the first things you can expect from a physical therapy session for neck pain is manual therapy. Your physical therapist will use soft tissue mobilization techniques to loosen areas of tense muscle and to break up knots and scar tissue. Manual therapy can be effective for treating a variety of techniques including muscle tension, immobility from scar tissue, and stiffness from joint inflammation.
- Aquatic therapy — Aquatic therapy is a great way to exercise the muscles and joints in your neck without placing too much stress on them. The resistance from the water is gentle enough to strengthen the muscles while reducing pressure from gravity and a patient’s own body weight.
- Spine care and stabilization — Spine care and stabilization is another method that you may become familiar with during your neck pain treatment at physical therapy. Your neck is connected to your spinal column, so part of treating your neck pain is to make sure that your spine is in optimal alignment and remains stable.
- Functional dry needling — Functional dry needling may also be helpful for neck pain, depending on the root cause of your pain. If you’re struggling with muscle tension or arthritis, dry needling could be helpful for you. It’s known to reduce muscle tension and address inflammation by promoting blood flow around targeted areas.
Border Therapy Services wants to treat your neck pain
Border Therapy Services wants to help you deal with any neck pain that might be a detriment to your quality of life. If you feel as if your neck condition is making your daily activities difficult to perform, you should seek the help of a physical therapist. We provide compassionate and professional treatment to each one of our patients so that they can experience relief. At Border TS, we can help treat and strengthen your neck so that you don’t suffer from pain any more than you already have.
Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment with one of our knowledgeable specialists.