SEPARATING MUSCLE & JOINT PAIN THE KEY TO LASTING RESULTS
Do you notice tightness in your upper back and neck? Is it more tight on one side than that on the other? The location and characteristics of your neck pain are valuable clues for our skilled therapists at Fritz Physical Therapy to identify the likely culprit for your pain, which helps us guide you to lasting relief. Ready to unlock the secret to lasting relief from neck and upper back pain? Don’t ignore those subtle signs — reach out to our skilled therapists today, and let us help you resolve your pain once and for all! NECK PAIN — MUSCLE VS. JOINT It can be difficult for people to determine where their pain originates. One of the most common reasons people describe their pain is “no apparent reason.” It often seems to come out of the blue or while doing the same everyday things you usually do. You can use these clues to point you in the right direction: • Pain on one side = joint pain. Although this, and all other clues, is not 100% true, it is a good starting point. Muscle tension tends to be equally distributed, whereas joint pain is typically one-sided. • Difficulty or inability to turn = joint dysfunction. Muscle tension tends to make movement uncomfortable or to feel tight on the opposite side of where you’re turning towards (pain on the left when turning right). Joint dysfunction usually causes the inability to turn or the sensation of a blockage when turning to the same side as the pain (pain on the right when turning right). • Pain that travels = joint. Muscles tend to feel tight and sore in the muscles themselves, compared to joint pain, which travels from the source of pain up into the head or down into the shoulder and arm. These clues can help us determine what is causing your pain, but the best way to get lasting relief is to schedule an appointment with one of our therapists!
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