Neck pain (cervical spine pain) can have a significant interference in your day to day activities. Cervical spine is a complex structure which supports your head (approx the weight of a bowling ball), houses the spinal cord and provides protection to blood vessels and nerves while allowing you to look behind your back. It plays an important role in an inefficient breathing pattern and supports proprioception/stability of your body.
Some Common Causes of Neck pain can be: Sitting and working on the computer for long periods of time, Postural Syndrome (Improper posture), Disc bulge/ herniation, Spinal Stenosis/Spondylosis/ Spondylolisthesis, Degenerative Disc Disease/ Arthritis of the neck, Whiplash injuries, Concussion, Neck Muscle strain, Neck ligament sprain, Improper sleeping positions, Sports Injuries, Brachial plexus Disorders, Scoliosis or post surgical pain.
Some Common Symptoms of Neck Pain can be pain in the head, neck ,shoulders or arms, painful neck movements, stiffness or tightness of the neck muscles, pain or difficulty lifting objects, numbness and/or weakness in arms and hands, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, headaches, dizziness and jaw pain.
The treatment for neck pain is dependent on the cause of the pain.
Pain from improper posture needs to be treated by strengthening weak muscles, stretching tight muscles and learning proper posture so it can be implemented in your daily routine.
Pain caused by improper sleeping positions can be self – treated with hot pack or cold pack at home, but lasting relief can be achieved with physical therapy. Your Physical Therapist, after evaluating, will provide manual therapy to release tight muscles, correct posture, teach exercises to strengthen the weak muscles and teach positions to sleep in, to eliminate and prevent pain.
Pain caused by Disc bulge/ herniation, Spinal Stenosis/Spondylosis/ Spondylolisthesis, Degenerative Disc Disease/ Arthritis of the neck needs to be evaluated by your physical therapist. Once the therapist completes the assessment they can clearly identify the underlying cause of the pain and address it with specific exercises directed at reducing pain, improving flexibility and increasing strength to maximize abilities of daily living.
Pain caused by Neck muscle strain, Neck Ligament Sprain and Concussions need to be addressed by an expert and should always be looked at by a Physical Therapist. They should not be self treated at home. Your Therapist can complete a detailed exam, identify the weak/painful areas and treat with specific exercises. Any and all exercises do not work with this condition. The emphasis has to be on stability and strengthening with specific exercises.
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