Do you have trouble sitting up straight at your desk, tilting your head down to tie your shoes, or even lying down to go to sleep at night? Do you have headaches more than once a week? If so, you’re not alone. According to the National Institutes of Health, over 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. Of those 100 million, 15% suffer from chronic neck pain.
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G R OW I N G T I R E D O F N E C K P A I N ?
F I N D N E C K P A I N R E L I E F T H R O U G H P H Y S I C A L T H E R A P Y
Your neck relies on a lot from your body – such as proper posture, flexibility, strength,andcoordination. Inourdaily lives,weplace tremendousstrainand demand on our neck. Stress and poor posture can cause muscle weakness in the neck, and can even lead to long-term damage over time. Any sort of chronic strain on the neck can result in inflammation and contribute to our pain and headaches.
Do you have trouble sitting up straight at your desk, tilting your head down to tie your shoes, or even lying down to go to sleep at night? Do you have headaches more than once a week? If so, you’re not alone. According to the National InstitutesofHealth,over100millionAmericanssuffer fromchronic pain. Of those 100 million, 15% suffer from chronic neck pain. Inasurveyconductedwithover300chronicpainsufferers,59%reportedan impacton thequalityof their lifeand77%of thosesurveyedreported feeling depressed. Even small amounts of pain can lead to a downward spiral in quality of life, energy, and overall wellbeing. Fortunately, physical therapy canhelpresolveall thepains inyourneck.ContactAccelerateTherapy today to schedule your consultation. HOW CAN PHYSICAL THERAPY RELIEVE MY NECK PAIN? The neck is an integral area of everyday movement, and sharp pains can prevent you from functioning properly in your day-to-day life. The neck is comprisedof7vertebrae (bones),over16 joints,andnumerousmusclesand tissues. The greatest concentration of muscles and tissues is in the upper neck, at the base of your skull. This area consists of the larger muscles that attach your head to your neck, and it is where the vertebral and carotid arteries travel through your neck, in order to reach the skull. When these musclesbecometense,thebloodflow fromthearteriescanbecomeaffected, resulting in neck pain and headaches.
Some common neck pain symptoms include:
• Arm weakness. • Numbness or tingling. • Inability to fully stand up or sit up straight. • Loss of sleep due to pain and discomfort.
• Discomfort and pain when remaining in the same position for too long. • Muscle stiffness and tightness in the upper body. • Headaches.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is likely that it may be caused by an injury or muscle strain from overexertion. However, it is also possible that your pain could be a result of an underlying condition, such as acompressednerve, jointdegeneration,orarthritis. Ifyounoticeanyof these symptoms occurring, it is important to consult with your physical therapist as soon as possible for treatment.
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P U T Y O U R S H O U L D E R I N T O I T
INCREASING SHOULDER STRENGTH CAN RELIEVE NECK PAIN & HEADACHES
1. Try to raise both arms up in front and continue overhead without moving your spine. If you can’t get full shoulder motion or have pain, you probably end up slouched without realizing it. 2. Try to roll your shoulders down and back without moving your spine. If you feel this is difficult to do, your muscles are probably keeping your shoulders elevated. 3. Raise your arms up and out to the side like a “jumping jack” without movingyourspine. Ifyouhavepain,youwillprobablyendupslouched without realizing it. 4. Try to clasp your hands behind your back. Now raise your arms up behind you. If you are unable to raise them very far, you have limited shoulder, spine or chest mobility. Nowrepeat these testswhilesittingupstraightandallow thespine tomove. Compare the difference in your shoulder motions or pain. Of course, self-testing at home is an imperfect way to determine if your headaches and neck pain are coming from poor posture or other shoulder issues.They justshowyouwhereyourbodyas limitedmovement,whichmay be causing your problems. Handling any problem sooner rather than later, leads to better results and preventing long-term damage, such as arthritis. If you suffer from neck pain, headaches, or shoulder pain, don’t let it linger andcausemoredamage.Callus today tospeakwithyourphysical therapist, or schedule a visit with us for a more complete evaluation.
After
Ever well-ver pac Performa
ARE YOUR SHOULDERS GETTING WEAKER? Four basic tests can tell you a lot. Does your neck ache towards the end of the day? Do you often end up with nagging headaches? While you might think it’s only due to stress, it may also be a result of your daily posture. Whenweuseourarms throughout theday, theshouldermusclesget tired, leading us to use our neck muscles as a substitute. A sure sign of this is when you notice your shoulders rising up closer to your ears. You may also find your spine rounding forward. The sooner our shoulder muscles fatigue, and the more rounded forward we end up, the sooner we notice headaches and neck pain.
Think thismightbeyou?Hereare 4BASICTESTS to tryat theendof theday!
Call your physical therapist at Accelerate Therapy & Performance to see how laser therapy can benefit you!
Begin thisexerciseswhilesittingatyourworkstation,yourhomecomputer, or the dinner table in your normal posture:
E X E R C I S E E S S E N T I A L S USE THIS EXERCISE TO STRENGTHEN SHOULDERS Shoulder D2 Pattern Stand with good posture with your arm across your body, your hand rotated in,thumbpointeddown.Bringyourarmupandacrossyourbody diagonally. As you do, rotate your hand outward. Finish with your hand above your head and out to the side. Repeat 6-10 times for both sides.
Alwaysconsult yourphysical therapistorphysicianbeforestarting exercises youareunsureofdoing.
Exercisescopyrightof
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U P C O M I N G E V E N T S
WH AT O U R P AT I E N T S A R E S AY I N G :
“After attending the shoulder pain workshop, I was convinced by the information provided that therapy would work for me. Every team member worked with me during my sessions. All were professional, well-versed, educational, and all-around great to work with. They put you through the paces, but that’s why you come. I highly recommend Accelerate Therapy and Performance, The staff will help you improve, as long as you re willing to do the work.” - Jeff T
FREE MEDICAL CARE DAY!
JUNE 19 Salisbury Location JUNE 26 Lexington Location
ttending the shoulder pain workshop, I was convinced by the information provided that therapy would work for me. team member worked with me during my sessions. All were professional, ed, educational, and all-around great to work with. They put you through the s, but that's why you come. I highly recommend Accelerate Therapy and ce, The staff will help you improve, as long as you are willing to do the work. H E A L T H Y R E C I P E BERRY ALMOND SMOOTHIE BOWL “Professional, ell-versed, educational, and all-around great to work with!”
Feel free to call us and ask to speak to your therapist. Your therapist can discuss with you why your pain is bothering you again and what you might do about it at home. H A S Y O U R P A I N C O M E B A C K ? 1 2
INGREDIENTS • ⅔ cup frozen raspberries • ½ cup frozen sliced banana
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon • ⅛ tsp ground cardamom • ⅛ tsp vanilla extract • ¼ cup blueberries • 1 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes
• ½ cup plain almond milk • 5 tbsp sliced almonds, divided
Jeff Tutterow
INSTRUCTIONS Blendraspberries,banana,almondmilk,3 tablespoonsalmonds, cinnamon,cardamomandvanilla inablenderuntilverysmooth. Pour the smoothie into a bowl and top with blueberries, the remaining 2 tablespoons almonds and coconut.
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If further assessment is warranted, your therapist might recommend you come in for an appointment.
S TA F F S P O T L I G H T CARMEN
NEW SATURDAY HOURS FOR SAL I SBURY ! Accelerate PT’s Salisbury clinic has new weekend hours. In addition to Fridays from 8 am -5 pm, the Salisbury location will now be open on the first and third Saturday of every month from 10 am - 3 pm!
Carmen is theAdministrativeAssistant/Medical InterpreteratAccelerateTherapy & Performance in Lexington, NC. She helps the office schedule run smoothly and handles all administrative duties. She also helps in interpreting complex medical information to patients that speak Spanish. She enjoys the feeling of meeting new patients and seeing their progression fromweek to week and knowing she takes part of something that helps people get back to what they love doing. Carmen lives with her husband and three children in Thomasville, NC. She was born in Zacatecas, Mexico, and has been in the U.S since the age of 6. In her free
time, she enjoys using her hands to do different crafts, listening to music of all walks of life, and spending time with family and friends. She is also a licensed Cosmetologist of 13 years and recently made a career change after attending DCCC to receive a Medical Interpreting Diploma.
The motto she lives by is, “It always seems impossible until it’s done,” by Nelson Mandela.
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