PriorityPT_Neck Pain and Headaches

It’s the end of the day and your head is pounding and your neck is aching. Was it the work you were doing? Was it the stress or the way you were sitting? Your neck is an intricate structure with hundreds of muscles and nerves. The joints in your neck provide movement, while the discs in between the bones give support and shock absorption. In today’s world of sitting for long periods at work, being on your computer and at home watching TV, your neck muscles, joints and nerves can become strained and irritated.

Health &Wellness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

Relieving Neck Pain & Headaches!

You Can Feel Better Naturally

INSIDE: • Relieving Neck Pain & Headaches! • Stretching for Neck Pain Relief • Discussing the Effects of Text Neck • Free Back Pain Consultation

Health & Wellness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

RelievingNeck Pain &Headaches!

It’s the end of the day and your head is pounding and your neck is aching. Was it the work you were doing? Was it the stress or the way you were sitting? Your neck is an intricate structure with hundreds of muscles and nerves.The joints in your neck provide movement, while the discs in between the bones give support and shock absorption. In today’s world of sitting for long periods at work, being on your computer and at home watching TV, your neck muscles, joints and nerves can become strained and irritated. The fact is that even the simplest movements can cause short periods of neck pain. Yet some of us may actually be experiencing chronic neck pain. Simple, repetitive movements can lead to prolonged muscle tightness, which can take time to show symptoms. In comparison, muscle

strains happen with quick jolts such as an injury or lifting something too heavy. How neck pain can go to your head. Headaches can stem from tightness in the neck muscles at the back of the neck, which is brought about by a forward-head posture and rounded back.This is very common if you work at a computer or sit a lot. In this position the spine is strained. Try to stand up tall with your back against a wall. How far away from the wall is the back of your head? If you have a forward head posture, your head will be quite far from the wall. The forward head position puts a strain on the neck muscles resulting in general muscle tension in the head. This can affect blood flow to the scalp, resulting in a headache. Pain can

be referred from the neck to behind the eyes or forehead and even one sided headaches around the temples. Pounding headaches at the back of the head can be related to neck muscle tightness and limited movement. Since many headaches stem from problems with neck movement and posture, it is wise that you see a physical therapist. Find out how you can relieve your aching neck and nagging headache for good. Call us today for more information! Look inside to learn more about our programs and say good-bye to those aches and pains!

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Stretching for Neck Pain Relief

Neck pain and headaches typically come from poor posture and tight muscles in the neck, shoulders and upper back. This produces what is called a forward head posture. By stretching the tight muscles along the back of your neck, as well as strengthening the muscles at the front of the neck, neck pain can be relieved. Correcting bad posture can be as simple as strengthening the abdominal region. However, keep in mind that when dealing with a forward- head posture, you will also have forward- rounded shoulders and increased curvature

of the upper spine. Our physical therapists are experts in posture evaluation and treatment, helping you even if you have quite severe changes. It’s never too late! Tight muscles are a big factor in most neck pain and headaches. Stretching the muscles of your chest and strengthening the muscles of the middle back helps. For long term benefits, learning the right exercises can make a big difference in preventing neck pain and headaches from returning.

Therefore, before you start taking any headache medicine for chronic neck pain, you might want to analyze your body posture first. Finding tension in your neck or limited range of motion in your spine might be the cause. Correcting it through physical therapy might be a simple solution for your headaches and neck pains. Call us today to learn more about our SPINE Program to relieve your headache and neck pain.

DISCOVER HOW TO LIVE PAIN-FREE At Priority Physical Therapy, you will receive hands-on therapy treatments by our friendly, caring health experts during focused and individualized sessions. It’s time to get Priority Physical Therapy if: • You’re tired of living in pain • You want to feel better and move better • You have been in an auto accident or injured on the job • You want to prevent injury 1. Call and talk to your therapist

Relieve Neck Pain In Minutes Try this movement if you are experiencing neck pain.

Helps Relieve Neck Pain

UPPER TRAPEZIUS STRETCH Make sure the hand of the side being stretched is tucked behind your body. Slowly bring your ear to the opposite shoulder and your chin towards your chest. Now look slightly over the shoulder being stretched.

2. Discover why your pain has come back 3. Get your custom recovery program

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IS YOUR DIGITAL LIFESTYLE AFFECTING YOUR POSTURE? DISCUSSING THE EFFECTS OF TEXT NECK

Poor posture is something we normally do not think of as a contributor to neck and back pain. However, in our era of constantlybeingonsmartphones, tablets,andcomputers, weoftenputournecksandbacks inpositionsofprolonged stress. Over time, this contributes to increased stress to our vertebrae, discs and muscles supporting the spine. Text neck is the term used to describe the neck pain and damage sustained from looking down at your cell phone, tablet, or other wireless devices too frequently and for too long. Of course, this posture of bending your neck to look down does not occur only when texting. For years, we’ve all looked down to read. The problem with texting is that it adds one more activity that causes us to look down—and people tend to do it for much longer periods. It is especially concerning because young, growing children could possibly cause permanent damage to their cervical spines that could lead to lifelong neck pain. We often see patients who have suffered from back and neckpain foryearswhocouldhavebeen treatedveryeasily when thepain startedwithsimplepostural correctionsand stretches. If you have been suffering from back or neck pain, come see one of our therapists for an assessment of what is contributing to your pain.

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