Everyone sleeps on their neck wrong occasionally, and those mornings when you realize you won’t be able to turn your head without feeling sharp pain makes you grateful for having otherwise healthy neck muscles.
But when a simple pain lasts longer than you anticipated or when you’ve endured a traumatic experience like a car crash, it’s important to seek professional help to not only relieve the debilitating pain, but also ensure your neck, shoulders, and spine heal correctly for better health long-term.
Causes of neck pain
The obvious causes of most people’s neck pain they’re experiencing is a muscle strain or other damage to the ligaments and tendons throughout the neck and shoulder. These can occur when being physically active, twisting your head around quickly, or even sleeping in a compromised position.
Other causes of neck pain may be more serious and require more comprehensive treatment to truly get at the root of the issue, including:
- Osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis
- Herniated disk in the neck
- Muscle strain
A medical professional will be able to rule out any of these or other factors when evaluating your neck pain and talking through your medical history, ensuring you get the care you need—nothing more, nothing less.
How physical therapy can help treat neck pain
The different approaches a physical therapist can take to address issues of the neck depend on whether the neck injury is acute or chronic.
Neck injury treatment
Treating a strained neck muscle or sprained ligament is a tried-and-true task for a physical therapist. We utilize a number of techniques to bring relief and resilience to your neck, including:
- Manual physical therapy
- Ergonomics evaluation
- Strengthening exercises
- Electrical stimulation or TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation)
- Stretching and relaxation techniques
Chronic neck pain treatment
Treating chronic neck pain effectively means mitigating underlying conditions that can contribute to this symptom. We can use a variety of diagnostic techniques to pinpoint the location you might be experiencing pain to determine the best course of action for treatment.
Each person’s chronic neck pain is unique to their situation, which will require specific techniques that may not work for others. In general, we will most likely use a combination of techniques, including:
- Reduce inflammation
- Prevent aggravating the underlying condition
- Build strength in the affected area
Find treatment options for neck pain near you
We always seek to provide patients with treatment options personalized to their goals, their experience of pain, and their overall health. To learn more about your options for getting relief from neck pain of all kinds, don’t hesitate to give the nearest office a call or request your appointment online today.
