Having Neck Pain? Come Get Some Instant Relief!

What is neck pain and what causes it?

Neck pain is a very common condition that most people experience once in their lifetime. Although pain coming from the neck can seem alarming, in most cases it is something a physical therapist can easily help with! Due to neck pain people may experience headaches, reduced range of motion with head movements, tightness in their upper back and neck, and some may experience numbness or tingling that goes down into one of their arms. Symptoms like numbness and tingling that are brought on from certain movements are often due to tight muscles which physical therapists are experts at treating! Most patients that come into a physical therapy clinic have pain stemming from their muscles. With neck pain, these muscles often are the upper trapezius, levator scapulae, cervical paraspinals, and the suboccipitals. 

How can physical therapy help?

Physical therapy can address your headaches, neck pain, or numbness and tingling through various types of treatment. For sore spots in your muscles that cause neck pain and headaches, physical therapists can relieve these symptoms through dry needling and mobilization techniques.1 Dry needling involves placing acupuncture-like needles into sore spots of muscles in order to relieve pain and tension. Combined with mobilization techniques, where a therapist helps you move through limitations in range of motion, neck pain can be significantly reduced.2 These same hands-on mobilization techniques have also been found to help with numbness and tingling that travels down an arm.3 A physical therapist can also address tightness and weakness in the neck that can cause pain. Research has shown that weak neck muscles are directly linked to neck pain. Furthermore, training these weak neck muscles can improve pain greatly.4 If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, contact us today. Imagine Physical Therapy can help you start feeling better at your first appointment! https://imaginept.com/locations

1. Aslıyüce, Yasemin Özel, and Özlem Ülger. “Mulligan Mobilization for Cervicogenic Headache - a Systematic Review.” International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, vol. 43, Elsevier BV, Mar. 2022, pp. 31–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijosm.2022.03.002.
2. Gautam, Rajesh, et al. “Comparison of Maitland and Mulligan Mobilization in Improving Neck Pain, ROM, and Disability.” International Journal of Physiotherapy and Research , vol. 2, 2321–1822, 2014.
3. Shafique, Sadaf, et al. “Effect of Mulligan Spinal Mobilization With Arm Movement Along With Neurodynamics and Manual Traction in Cervical Radiculopathy Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, no. 0, Pakistan Medical Association, 2019, p. 1. https://doi.org/10.5455/jpma.297956.
4. Jull GA, O'Leary SP, Falla DL. Clinical assessment of the deep cervical flexor muscles: the craniocervical flexion test. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2008;31(7):525-533. doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2008.08.003