THE NEWSLETTER ABOUT YOUR HEALTH AND CARING FOR YOUR BODY Health Tips Newsletter
LIFE DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A PAIN IN THE NECK
(continued from outside)
INSIDE : • Neck Pain 101 • Featured PT
• Exercise Of The Month • Patient Success Spotlight
The prevalence of neck pain in this study was 81% of males and 91% of females, with the prevalence increasing in those who worked longer hours 1 . Similar to all spine pain, the factors associated with neck pain include ergonomics (posture, physical activity), individual (BMI, genes, medical history), psychosocial (job satisfaction, stress, and anxiety), and behavioral (smoking and level of physical activity) 3 . The study mentioned above
has the tools to help prevent and relieve neck pain! Physical therapists are equipped to educate patients on how to alter and improve desk and computer set-ups in order to support better posture. In addition, a PT assesses neck mobility and checks for radicular symptoms such as nerve pain, numbness, and tingling that would indicate nerve compression. Radicular symptoms are commonly associated with limited neck mobility and poor posture. A PT will also evaluate upper body strength to determine which muscles need to be lengthened or stretched, and which muscles would benefit from strengthening to better support the spine and shoulders. Physical therapists may use manual techniques applied to both joints and soft tissue structures in combination with therapeutic exercises to increase neck mobility and decrease pain. They will also assess joint movement and posture with everyday tasks in order to educate the patient on improved body mechanics. So, don’t let life be a pain in the neck! Call your physical therapist to help you to achieve a pain-free life! Sources: 1.Aggarwal,P.andReza,M. (2013). ImpactofComputeruseonPrevalenceofNeckPainandConsequentDisability. IndianJournalofPhysiotherapyandOccupationalTherapy -An InternationalJournal,7(4),p.102. 2.Clarke,T. (2016).UseofComplementaryHelathApproaches forMusculoskeletalPainDisordersAmongAdults:UnitedStates, 2012. [online]Cdc.gov.Availableat:https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr098.pdf [Accessed12Oct.2016]. 3.Genebra,CaioVitorDosSantos,etal. “PrevalenceandFactorsAssociatedwithNeckPain:aPopulation-BasedStudy.”Brazilian Journal of PhysicalTherapy, Departamento De Fisioterapia Da Universidade Federal De Sao Carlos, 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC5537482/.
By Emily Chappell, PT, DPT
indicates that ergonomics in the home and workplace have a significant effect on neck pain. This is because sitting in the same posture for an extended period of time can have a large impact on the mobility, flexibility, and alignment of the spine. When sitting at a computer, reading, or staring down at a phone, it is common to develop a forward head posture where the head protrudes and the natural curvature of the neck is flattened out. This posture creates an imbalance of pressure on the muscles and structures on the back of the neck, which causes pain. So what can you do to prevent the decline of posture, decreased neck mobility, and the start of neck pain? You can see a physical therapist who
PENNSYLVANIA ALLOWS DIRECT ACCESS TO PHYSICAL THERAPY WITHOUT A PHYSICIAN REFERRAL CONTACT US TODAY TO LEARN IF YOUR INSURANCE CARRIER COVERS THIS SERVICE
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker