Neck Pain

Do you have pain in your neck? When you wake up? When you turn to back out of the drive?

You don't have to continue to put up with it!

Why do I have neck pain?

Usually, neck pain will occur when the structures that make up your neck become irritated. These can include muscles, joints, ligaments and more.

Neck pain can present in many different ways and you may experience:

• ongoing neck pain, which goes up and down.

• pain which may have just started suddenly

• You may have been told you have disk bulge or prolapse

• You may have radiating pain down your arms or into your hands

It is not often clear exactly what has caused this irritation, even if there has been one particular movement which has triggered your neck pain it is usually a combination of a number of factors which have led to the onset of pain such as stress, poor sleep, overloading or weakness.

What symptoms might you experience with neck pain?

The pain experienced with neck pain can differ between each person, you might feel a sharp stabbing pain to a specific area, you might feel a throbbing ache in your neck and shoulders, or you might feel pain and stiffness which limit your ability to turn your neck!

All of these can be scary if you’ve never experienced it before, which is a very normal way to feel!

In some cases you might experience shooting pains down into your shoulders and arms. You may even feel pins and needles or tingles into your hand. We highly recommend calling your physio.

The times when you experience pain can also vary. In some cases you can experience pain with:

• Turning or twisting your head

• Looking up or down

• Picking up something heavy

• When driving

• Sitting for long periods such as at the computer

• When waking up in the morning

It can be scary when you feel intense or sharp pain that takes your breath away with some movements. Stress less and try to breath as your pain is more related to a strain or protective response rather than a serious issue. 

What this means is that WE CAN HELP YOU move pain free once again with physiotherapy.

Physios are qualified to assess your neck and to give you a diagnosis and refer you on for scans if needed. They will also start helping calm down that pain and get you moving again.

Do I need a scan?

We will assess your spine thoroughly and send you off for scans IF we need to.

However most of the time, we can avoid costly scans that won’t change the course of your rehabilitation. We are excellent at telling you why your neck is painful and even better at getting you back to all the things you enjoy doing in life, stronger than ever. 

When should I seek medical attention?

There are some cases in which you should seek medical attention.

If you experience:

• Loss of strength or sensation in your arms eg. unable to grip jars, numbness down your arms.

• Pain following a fall (particularly if you have a history of osteoarthritis)

• Pain coupled with sweats/fever/unexplained weight loss/ unremitting night pain

• Blurred or altered vision

How long will my neck pain last?

• The recovery time for neck pain can be variable. It can depend on factors such as time since the onset, severity and your base line strength and mobility.

• 4-8 weeks is the usual time before you will be back to your full potential after an onset of neck pain. This does not mean you will be in pain for the entire time, instead, with physiotherapy treatment, you should see a gradual improvement in your pain and your ability to function as it takes this time to build up the tolerance and strength of your neck and shoulders.

How is neck pain managed?

To try and improve your symptoms initially you can try to:

• Apply heat to your neck

• See your Physio and start moving around as much as you can tolerate. We can talk you through this step by step.

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    • Some tips to help start moving include:

      • Move with relaxed movements EG. roll your shoulders backwards in circles

      • Avoid breath holding

      • Listen to your Physio’s advice and gradually return to exercise for shorter durations initially and exercise for shorter periods through the day to build your exercise tolerance.

      • Increase your activity gradually and return to your usual activities as soon as you can, with the guidance of your Physio.

    And please remember:

    • Movements will be painful at first, – like an ankle sprain – but they will get better as you get active, so don’t panic. 

    • Pain with movement does not mean you are doing harm – your neck is sensitive at the moment

    • It is important to gradually increase your activity levels based on time rather than levels of pain

    • It is safe to exercise and work with neck pain – you may just have to modify what you do in the first few days -with the guidance of your physio. 

Try not to panic and see your Physio in order to start your rehabilitation journey early so we can get you back to doing all the things that you enjoy in life.

Neck pain does not have to stop you getting back to life, stronger than ever with some help and guidance from Physio.

We will provide hands on treatment for relief and exercises to get you moving pain free and gradually get you stretching and strengthening your neck in ways that it will calm down and be happy once again!