Living with Neck Pain? Physical Therapy Can Help
Finding Relief Doesn’t Have to be a Pain in the Neck!
Your neck is an essential part of everyday movement, and severe pain can prevent you from functioning normally. Neck pain can be debilitating and extremely uncomfortable, especially if it extends from your neck to your shoulders.
These days neck pains commonly stems from using a smart phone or a computer all day, this adds a lot of extra strain to your neck. On top of being the place that most people hold their stress, this can add to the incidence of neck pain and discomfort, or could be a problem waiting to happen. This leads to a “forward head” position that causes overshortening of the muscles in the back of your neck and compression of the cervical vertebrae. This causes inefficiency that continues to cause more strain and loss of motion.
Whether your neck pain is preventing you from sitting up straight in your chair at work or causing you to tilt your head down to tie your shoes, physical therapy can help you get back to improved, pain-free functioning.
According to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), one-third of the population will deal from neck pain in any given year. If left untreated, it can worsen, and in severe cases, surgery may even be recommended- but is often not necessary.
Your physical therapist will help you improve motion and joint mobility, increase muscle length and restore elasticity, eliminate pain and radicular symptoms, avoid surgery, improve sleep quality, improve strength, and teach you a home program to maintain positive changes.
Our New York physical therapy clinic is committed to providing you with the assistance you require. Schedule your appointment today to get started on the road to recovery!
Common symptoms of neck pain
The pain can vary in severity, from a constant dull ache to sharp and stabbing pains. It can sometimes include additional symptoms, including but not limited to:
- Stiffness and muscle tightness in the upper body
- Arm weakness
- Loss of sleep due to pain and discomfort
- Inability to fully stand up or sit up straight
- Numbness or tingling into the upper extremities
- Headaches
- Discomfort and pain when remaining in the same position for too long
How can physical therapy help relieve my neck pain?
Physical therapy is one of the most effective methods for treating neck pain. Our physical therapists at Central Park Physical Therapy will conduct a thorough physical evaluation to assess your neck’s ability to move and to localize & eliminate restrictions that are causing limitations.
We will make a diagnosis and determine your specific treatment plan that will continue to progress each session. We will work towards your specific goals and expectations of each step of your personalized treatment plan. Your therapist will also collaborate with your primary care physician if necessary!
Your treatment plan will consist of an array of techniques that are all designed to improve your mobility, relieve strain & pain, and teach you how to ‘fix yourself’ and maintain these changes long term.
What could be causing your neck pain?
Injuries to muscle tissues and bone caused by repetitive strain are the most common reason for neck pain, however, certain degenerative conditions can also lead to neck pains.
Some common conditions that give you pain in your neck include:
Illnesses
Certain diseases and ailments can result in neck pain, such as rheumatoid cancer, arthritis, and meningitis.
Muscle strains
Sitting at your desk all day with your neck craned toward the computer screen can cause your neck muscles to become strained by overuse.
Compressed nerves
If you have a herniated disc in your neck, or a narrowing of the foramen (space where the nerves exit the spine), the nerves that branch out from your spinal cord can become compressed. In some cases, nerve pain can even extend from the neck down to the hands and fingers — a condition known as “radiculopathy.”
Injuries
Whiplash is typically sustained by a high speed or high-impact collision. This is known as a “strain” injury, causing the head to whip rapidly back-and-forth, thus affecting the soft tissues in the back or front of the neck.
Degenerative joint conditions
Conditions such as osteoarthritis can also reduce the cartilage between the vertebrae in the neck, also resulting in neck pains. Much like any other joint in your body, the neck joints can wear down with use, eventually causing pain.
Find relief with Central Park Physical Therapy today
Your neck pain may be taking over your life, but it doesn’t have to.
We will assist you in getting started on the path to long-term pain relief.