If you really had to narrow down the frustrations that come with dealing with chronic pain, perhaps the single largest frustration would be having to deal with the pain day after day. Chronic pain has a way of interfering with the most basic activities. Getting out of bed and driving to work can become a challenge, as can sitting in a desk chair all day, or attempting to pick up your child when he or she is upset. Some of these tasks are more difficult to get around than are others, and, depending on how the pain is impacting your life, the stress of having to go through extra steps to make basic things happen can really get out of hand.
NEWSLETTER
Relief isHere! RadiatingNeckPain &HeadachesDon't StandaChance
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Newsletter
Relief is Here! Radiating Neck Pain & Headaches Don't Stand a Chance
If you really had to narrow down the frustrations that come with dealing with chronic pain, perhaps the single largest frustration would be having to deal with the pain day after day. Chronic pain has a way of interfering with the most basic activities. Getting out of bed and driving to work can become a challenge, as can sitting in a desk chair all day, or attempting to pick up your child when he or she is upset. Some of these tasks are more difficult to get around than are others, and, depending on how the pain is impacting your life, the stress of having to go through extra steps to make basic things happen can really get out of hand. Neck pain is one of those types of pain that can be challenging to deal with. When symptoms have been present for a while, the discomfort can sometimes appear to spread, sometimes into your head or around your shoulder blades. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that the condition has worsened. More often, it means that your pain-generating system, just one of our body’s internal alarms, is becoming more sensitive and sending stronger signals to spur you to action! What Causes Neck Pain? There are many possible reasons for neck pain. In the absence of a specific incident or trauma, most causes are relatively benign, especially if pain is the only symptom and neurological function is intact. The cervical spine is surrounded by a web of nerves and even minor irritation to these nerves can cause sharp or shooting pains. While such pain can be frightening, it is rarely an ominous health issue. Other possible physical drivers can be joint irritation, muscle tension as a result of protective guarding, over-use from repetitive movements, or even under- use from prolonged postures. Stress, lack of sleep, and anxiety can also be powerful contributors to neck and back pain. Physical therapists are
skilled at assessing the source of neck pain and identifying possible red flags before initiating a plan of treatment. What many people don’t realize is that certain common headaches that are dismissed as migraines or due to sinus issues are often actually due to restrictions in neck joint mobility or muscle tension. Instead of taking pain medications, many of which can carry serious long-term side effects, a skilled physical therapist can determine if your headaches may be driven by an issue with your neck. If so, such issues can often be addressed relatively easily with a combination of manual therapy and exercises tailored to your needs. The good news is that there is actually a lot that you can do to support the healthy operation of your neck, thereby reducing the severity or frequency of your neck pain. Working with a physical therapist is the best way to address neck pain. During physical therapy, your neck pain will be addressed holistically, taking into consideration the initial injury that may have caused the pain to develop, but also any other habits, movements or compensations that may be contributing to the discomfort. Physical therapy takes advantage of strategies like massage, stretching and muscle training to reduce neck pain, and many of these strategies can be adopted in part at home or on the-go to help you address your neck pain when it is bothering you the most. Adopting healthier habits can have a big impact on your management of neck pain. These include: • Practicing improved posture (Continued inside)
Patient Spotlight
Neck Pain & Headaches
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shoulders are some of the most common places to carry that stress. You may not even realize the impact that simple tasks that you do every day have on your body and your experience of pain. Things like driving, lifting heavy objects — like packages at the front door or even your groceries — and repetitive movements like hunching over a keyboard at work can all seriously impact your neck pain. The longer you let neck pain linger and disrupt your life, the more difficult it becomes to treat. If you experience an injury, the smart thing to do is to consult a physical therapist soon after the pain develops. Call us at (804) 249-8277 today to learn how you can find relief from your neck pain and headaches with the help of Virginia Center for Spine & Sports Therapy.
• Getting adequate sleep • Changing positions often during the day • Stress management • Proper breathing • Exercising regularly One of the primary goals of physical therapy is to address whole-body well-being by encouraging improved overall health. In many situations, this includes improved flexibility and range-of-motion training, muscle building and strength training, and even in some cases, encouragement with cardiovascular activities and weight loss. At the end of the day, the best way to be free of neck pain is to prevent neck pain from developing, and working with a physical therapist can help you in this regard, as well. The tasks that you do every day can build up over time and cause a lot of stress on your body, and the neck and
“I cannot say enough good things about this practice! I have been coming off and on for many years now. I first went after I’d been experiencing severe back pain for a couple of years, having already been to two other PT practices. My ortho doctor recommended Martin Dominguez. Within a couple months I was off all medication and able to go hiking out in Colorado for a week with no issue at all. Before seeing Martin, I truly thought this pain was just going to be a part of my life. I have subsequently been to PT here for neck pain and most recently shoulder pain. This last experience unfortunately coincided with my father getting seriously ill and eventually passing. Throughout the whole 6 weeks of that experience, all of the staff were extremely caring, flexible with my constantly changing schedule, checking in with how I was doing emotionally and just truly making me feel like I was a part of their family, helping to ease the pain not only of my shoulder but also my grief. I will not go anywhere else. All of these PTs are not only extremely knowledgeable, but also real human beings who care, very rare
in today’s healthcare world. Thank you!!” - H. K. 5 Star Review, June 24, 2019
WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR YOU THIS MONTH? We continue to offer you monthly suggestions to enhance your wellbeing by the addition of something positive to your life. In July, we propose that you give yourself permission to take a nap. Yes, a nap. While a full, restful night’s sleep is ideal, life doesn’t always allow for the ideal. The next day’s result is often brain fog and the overwhelming desire to just close your eyes and hit the reset button. When you are tired, your productivity, accuracy, decision making, and attention span are all competing for your limited resources. While you may be tempted to grab a cup of coffee, a 10-20 minute brain reset can more effectively put you back on track. Instead of beating yourself up for not being able to efficiently cross off your to-do’s, give yourself permission to take care of yourself by ZZZoning out for a few moments.
Try this stretch if you are experiencing back pain. Relieve Pain In Minutes:
Stretches Neck
LEVATOR SCAPULAE STRETCH Grasp your arm on the affected side and tilt your head downward into the armpit. Use your opposite hand to guide your head further into the stretch. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat exercise on opposite side.
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WHY YOU NEED 7-9 HOURS OF SLEEP & How You Can Improve Your Time
1.Noise. Sleeping with a white noise machine or fan can help eliminate any additional environmental noises that may wake you up in the middle of the night. 2.Light. If your room lets in excessive amounts of light in the morning, it may be beneficial to invest in some blackout curtains. Keeping your room dark will help you stay asleep through the night, even as the sun is rising. 3.Temperature. Have you ever woken up sweating to throw the blankets off and wake up freezing a couple hours later? The temperature in which you keep your bedroom has a large effect on your sleep. Your body temperature naturally decreases as a way to initiate sleep, so keeping a cooler bedroom can help facilitate your slumber. 4.Mattress. It may come as no surprise that what you actually sleep on also has a profound effect on the way you sleep. Mattresses with mid-level firmness ratings (4-6 out of 10) tend to help the most with alleviating pain, as they provide a balance between comfort and support. Mattresses that are too soft or too firm can actually increasepain levelsduringsleep,as theycan createmorepressureand targetcertainpain points. Sleep is an essential part of daily function, and you shouldn’t let your pain rob you from it! If you are experiencing sleep deprivation due to your chronic pain, contact us today at (804) 249-8277. We’ll provide you with helpful tips for gaining sleep and improving your daily life, free from pain and exhaustion.
How Much Sleep Do You Need?
made a habit of skimping on sleep, you may not even remember what it feels like to be truly wide-awake, fully alert, and firing on all cylinders. Maybe it feels normal to get sleepy when you’re in a boring meeting, struggling through the afternoon slump, or dozing off after dinner, but the truth is that it’s only “normal” if you’re sleep deprived. • Need an alarm clock in order to wake up on time • Rely on the snooze button • Have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning • Feel sluggish in the afternoon • Get sleepy in meetings, lectures, or warm rooms • Get drowsy after heavy meals or when driving • Need to nap to get through the day • Fall asleep while watching TV or relaxing in the evening • Feel the need to sleep in on weekends • Fall asleep within five minutes of going to bed You May Be Sleep Deprived if You:
There is a big difference between the amount of sleep you can get by on and the amount you need to function optimally. According to the National Institutes of Health, the average adult sleeps less than seven hours per night. In today’s fast-paced society, six or seven hours of sleep may sound pretty good. In reality, though, it’s a recipe for chronic sleep deprivation. Just because you’re able to operate on six or seven hours of sleep doesn’t mean you wouldn’t feel a lot better and get more done if you spent an extra hour or two in bed. While sleep requirements vary slightly from person to person, most healthy adults need between 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night to function at their best. Children and teens need even more. And despite the notion that our sleep needs decrease with age, most older people still need at least 7 hours of sleep. Since older adults often have trouble sleeping this long at night, daytime naps can help fill in the gap. If you’re getting less than eight hours of sleep each night, chances are you’re sleep deprived. What’s more, you probably have no idea just how much lack of sleep is affecting you. How is it Possible to Be Sleep Deprived Without Knowing It? Most of the signs of sleep deprivation are much more subtle than falling face first into your dinner plate. Furthermore, if you’ve Signs That You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep
How Can I Improve My Sleep?
There are some steps you can take to make sleeping as comfortable as possible for you and to make up some of the sleep debt you experience each night. The environment in which you sleep is one of the most important factors in creating a good night’s sleep. This includes:
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