Today’s modern living often entails hours of driving and hunching over workstations, which can play havoc with our necks. So it is not surprising that neck pain is one of the most common conditions that our practitioners treat. Whilst neck pain is less common than low back pain, millions of people experience neck pain and related arm pain at some stage in their lives.
Neck pain results from abnormalities in the soft tissues – muscles, ligaments, and nerves, as well as in the bone and the joints of the spine. The most common causes that we identify and treat are soft tissue abnormalities from injury or prolonged wear and tear. In many people it is also the source of pain in the upper back, shoulders and arms.
When neck pain is caused by muscle strain, you may have aches and stiffness that spread to the upper arm and forearm. Shooting pain that spreads down the arm into the hand and fingers can be a symptom of a “pinched nerve” or nerve entrapment in the neck. When a nerve is “pinched” in the neck, numbness, weakness and possibly pain in the hands or arms may occur. Disc injuries are rarer but it is the most common cause of nerve entrapments.
Injury to the neck caused by a sudden movement of the head backwards and forwards or sideways, is referred to as “whiplash”. Whether from a car accident, sporting injury or an accident at work, whiplash or neck injuries warrant a thorough examination.
Physiotherapy for neck pain generally is aimed at improving flexibility, strength and mobility in the neck, thereby reducing pain and spasm. After taking a thorough history and conducting a hands-on assessment, our physiotherapists may use a combination of manual therapy techniques and exercise prescription to restore movement and optimal function.
Where patients present with a wry neck (often unable to turn their head fully to one side), treatment is specifically targeted to the joints causing the muscle spasm. Mobilisations, heat and stretching help to restore range of motion quickly, with tenderness subsiding in the ensuing days.
