Head and Neck Pain
What causes it?
Trauma, stress, poor posture and persistent overload are all contributory factors in head and neck pain. They lead to muscle imbalance, Joint stiffness, tightening of soft tissues and neural impingement.
What does it feel like?
Restricted movement and pain around the neck are the most obvious symptoms, however pain can also be referred to the shoulders and shoulder blade area. If a nerve is irritated as it leaves your neck, you may feel symptoms of pain, numbness, or pins and needles in your arm or hand. Headaches are a common symptom of longstanding neck irritation.
What will a Physiotherapist do?
During an examination you can expect your physiotherapist to listen carefully to your symptoms and then carry out a thorough examination. The examination will be tailored individually for you, aiming to assess for reduced ranges of movement, postural alignment, muscle imbalance, spasm and nerve entrapment. Your physiotherapist will discuss their findings and decide the appropriate treatment technique with you. Treatments may include:
- Massage and tissue release
- Mobilisation of the joints in the neck, thoracic spine and ribs
- Assessment of muscle imbalance
- Postural retraining
- Stability exercises
- Strengthening and lengthening of weak or tight muscles
- Exercises to mobilise compromised nerves
- Taping techniques to reduce spasm
- Planning of a tailor made programme to help prevent recurrence of your symptoms
Examples of conditions treated
Whiplash. Degenerative disc disease. Disc herniation. Discectomy. Facet Joint Pain. Headache. Laminectomy. Stenosis. Radicular pain. Stiff neck. Acute wry neck.