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)
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