Neck Pain

Your neck and back are made up of small bones called vertebrae. These are stacked on top of each other to form the spinal column.

The spinal column supports your head and protects the spinal cord. This is the main structure which links the network of nerves throughout your body. Messages travel along this network sending sensations, such as pain, to your brain.

What does neck pain feel like ?

Some people describe the pain as:

• A persistent ache.
• A stabbing or burning pain.
• A shooting pain that travels from their neck to their shoulders or arms.

Neck pain may involve other symptoms, including:

• Headache.
• Stiffness in your neck, shoulders and upper back.
• Being unable to turn your neck or tilt your head.
• Numbness or tingling (pins and needles) feeling in your shoulders or arms.

Who is affected by neck pain ?

Neck pain is common, affecting 10% to 20% of adults. It’s more common in women and people assigned female at birth. Your chance of developing it increases with age.

What causes neck pain ?

Neck pain is very common and most of us will have it at some point in our lives. Usually, neck pain is the result of holding your neck in the same position for too long. However, other things can also cause or contribute to neck pain, such as:

• worry or stress
• sleeping awkwardly
• an accident, which can cause whiplash
• a sprain or a strain
• a flare-up of cervical spondylosis; which can happen as the discs and joints in the spine age.

Many people develop a stiff and painful neck for no obvious reason. It may happen after sitting in a draught or after a minor twisting injury, for example while gardening. This is called non-specific neck pain. This is the most common type of neck pain and usually disappears after a few days, providing you keep gently moving your neck and rest when you need to.

You can often manage short spells of neck pain yourself using over-the-counter painkillers and gentle stretches. However, if your neck problem persists or significantly affects your everyday activities then it’s sensible to see our Physiotherapists.

Diagnosis of neck pain:

It's unlikely that you'll require any additional testing because the majority of neck issues can be identified and managed based only on your symptoms and a quick examination. Occasionally, in order to rule out other significant causes of neck discomfort, your Physiotherapists. might advise you to have an MRI, blood test, or x-ray.

Treatment of neck pain:

A few days of rest and easy self-help remedies are frequently sufficient to end a neck pain episode. However, if your neck issue is more complicated or persistent, a medical expert might suggest further therapies and treatments that should be helpful. Your doctor might also be able to recommend stronger medicines if your discomfort isn't going away, but not everyone will benefit from these.

Physical treatments: Physiotherapists, chiropractors and osteopaths are all trained to treat neck problems. Treatment carried out by one of these therapists, along with home exercises, are often all that’s needed. 

They can suggest general or specific stretching and strengthening exercises for the neck.

• Manipulation: One kind of manual treatment called manipulation is used to relieve stiffness by adjusting specific body parts. It's critical to comprehend the ramifications because it can be unsettling at first. Make sure you tell your therapist about your disease and the symptoms you've been having. This will help them decide which treatments are most likely to be beneficial for you in a more informed manner.

• Neck stretching exercises: Even though a stiff neck is typically caused by a relatively minor injury, such as a muscle strain or ligament sprain, the painful flare-ups can be quite sharp or burning. It is good to minimize painful movements and give a stiff neck some rest, but it is also important to keep the neck moving to avoid further stiffening or muscle deconditioning.

• Acupuncture: During a session of acupuncture, very fine needles are inserted, virtually painlessly, at a number of sites on the skin. These are not necessarily at the painful area. Acupuncture seems to relieve pain in the short term by interfering with the signals to your brain and by causing the release of natural painkillers, known as endorphins.

• Injections: A very tiny number of instances may benefit from a steroid injection or long-acting local anesthetic, particularly if you experience persistent pain in your arm or back of your head. Usually, the injection is administered into your neck's tiny facet joints. Typically, these injections are administered in an x-ray department to allow the specialist to properly position the needle.

• TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation): A TENS machine is a small battery-driven machine which may help to reduce pain. Small pads are placed over the painful area and low-voltage electrical stimulation produces a pleasant tingling sensation. It’s suggested that this can interfere with pain signals from the nerves to the brain. You can buy TENS machines from pharmacies, but your physiotherapist may be able to let you borrow one to try first.

Exercises of neck pain: The best way to prevent injury is by having strong, flexible muscles and joints that resist strain and injury. The back and neck like movement. Putting the back in a static position for long periods of time, such as sitting at a computer screen for hours, increases the risk of back or neck strain.

Neck isometric exercises:

Why Do You Come to Spine Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centre (SPTRC) for Neck Pain ?

Our physiotherapy staff in Shyamoli is very skilled in treating Neck Pain. Before treating you, we must first assess the patient, discuss with them, and create a treatment plan. We offer shockwave therapy, acupuncture therapy, electromagnetic field therapy, intermittent cryotherapy, and more. We can immediately relieve your pain.  

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