Neck pain can impact everyone at some point in their lives. Whether it’s just a twinge in your neck muscles from sleeping in the wrong position or a stabbing pain when you try to move from a more serious injury, neck pain can really put a damper on your day.
If you’ve been suffering from neck pain for more than a day or two, there may be a more significant cause. Any neck pain that lasts longer than just a few days should be examined by a doctor. In the case of a pinched nerve, your doctor may recommend you to see a physical therapist to try to relieve the pressure on the pinched nerve in your neck that is causing your pain.
There are a variety of physical therapy treatments for neck pain. Take a moment to review some of the treatment options that are intended to benefit your neck pain.
Physical therapy options for neck pain
Choosing a treatment plan to address your specific neck pain starts with a physical therapist understanding your current level of discomfort. They may also need to address the possibility of your pain returning due to your lifestyle or work environment.
Once a physical therapist determines what caused your neck pain, they will be able to create a personalized plan to help you get back to your normal quality of life. Your therapist will choose from a list of treatments like the ones provided below:
- Manual therapy — Manual therapy is the physical treatment involving joint mobilization and the manipulation of muscles, tendons, and joints. It’s performed through slow and firm pressure applied by your physical therapist’s hands. This type of physical therapy treatment is great for tension relief and neck pain.
- Graston Technique® — This technique is a form of deep tissue manipulation that is completed through the use of instruments. This method allows your therapist to detect and treat regions of the body with injured fibrotic tissue.
- Ergonomic assessment — Your therapist can make recommendations for changes to your work routine or the movements you make at work. The assessment can be useful for potentially reducing future injury.
- Electrical stimulation — Electrical stimulation can be used by your physical therapist for a variety of purposes. For neck pain, it can help relieve muscle spasms, work to prevent atrophy and build strength in your neck. Your therapist will attach electrodes that send pulses through your muscles and cause them to contract.
All these physical therapy treatments are great options to help you find relief from your neck pain. Your physical therapist may choose one or a combination of treatments to best help relieve your discomfort. For information on neck pain and related conditions, like neck pain and headaches, read here.
The goal of physical therapy treatments
The primary goal of your treatment plan is to reduce your pain and swelling while improving your range of motion in your head and neck. If the pain cannot be eliminated, physical therapists do their best to teach you ways to minimize it. Some patients are sent home with additional exercises and stretches to do at home to aid in their recovery.
Physical therapists should always encourage their patients to take an active role in their treatment. Sometimes clinical sessions are simply not enough, and at-home exercises lead to a more successful outcome for a patient. The initial examination is when you and your therapist will discuss how much work you feel comfortable doing at home. If you are dedicated to getting better together, then they can help you make tremendous progress toward your recovery.
Consider Panther Physical Therapy for your neck pain
Panther Physical Therapy wants to help you find relief from your neck pain. Our team of highly skilled therapists is always being educated and trained in the latest treatment techniques to offer our patients.
You should be in control of your life, not your neck pain. If you’re looking for highly effective physical therapy treatment for your neck pain, contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment at one of our three locations nearest you.