According to the American Physical Therapy Association, around a third of the population will experience neck pain in any given year (APTA.). Neck pain can be highly distressing if it extends from your neck down into your shoulders. It can make it challenging to sit up straight in a chair at work or school, making it difficult to complete simple household duties.
Discomfort in or around the cervical spine, which is located beneath your head, is referred to as neck pain. Neck discomfort is a typical sign of a variety of injuries and illnesses. You could have axial neck pain (pain that originates in the neck) or radicular neck pain (pain that originates in the back of the neck) (pain shoots into other areas such as the shoulders or arms).
Neck pain can last anywhere from a few days to several years, depending on the cause. The most common causes are osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, ruptured discs, pinched nerves, emotional and physical stress and strain, poor posture, tumors, and other health conditions.
Contact Richmond Physical Therapy in Staten Island on Hylan, Forest Ave or Richmond Ave or Matawan, NJ, today if you’ve been suffering from neck pain & headaches and want to learn more about how physical therapy might help.
What Causes Neck Pain & Headaches?
Aging:
As you get older, degenerative disorders like osteoarthritis (wearing down of joint cartilage) and spinal stenosis (narrowing of spinal spaces) can cause neck pain and headaches. The spine’s stress and motion can induce disc degeneration, culminating in a herniated disc or pinched nerve.
Nerve Compression:
The nerves that branch out from the spinal cord might be compressed by a herniated disc in the neck. A disorder known as “radiculopathy” occurs when nerve discomfort extends from the neck all the way down to the hands and fingers.
Illness:
This includes infections, colds, and fevers, to name a few. Sinusitis (inflammation of the sinuses), a throat infection, or ear infection are all typical causes of headaches. Headaches can result from a blow to the head or, more rarely, a symptom of a more serious medical problem.
Stress:
Alcohol abuse, missing meals, sleeping irregularly, and taking too much medicine are emotional anxiety and depression. Neck or back discomfort from bad posture are other factors.
Seek Physical Therapy Treatment For Neck Pain & Headaches Condition
Physical therapy is one of the most effective treatments for neck pain & headaches. During the diagnosis phase, the physical therapist will work with you to establish your neck’s range of motion and any current limits caused by pain.
The two of you will then collaborate to develop a specific treatment strategy to assist you in conquering the pain and recovering as quickly as possible. Physical therapists will also evaluate whether some therapies are more likely to aggravate your illness so that you may avoid them.
Manual therapy, a type of massage meant to relieve stiffness in the neck and enhance range of motion, will most likely be used to treat neck discomfort. Application of cooling and heat packs, ultrasound, and electrical stimulation may also be used as treatments. The physical therapist will also work with you to improve your posture in order to aid in the recovery of your neck muscles and prevent further damage.
Physical therapy can help you get rid of neck pain. Request an appointment with Richmond Physical Therapy in Staten Island on Hylan, Forest Ave or Richmond Ave or Matawan, NJ!
Click here to read our blog post about how physical therapy can help you get to the bottom of your headaches!