If you suffer from chronic neck pain, then you know all too well just how painful it can be. Research shows that 20% to 70% of adults in the U.S. will experience neck pain that impacts their daily lives at some point in their life. Neck pain is uncomfortable on its own, but it can also cause pain and discomfort in other areas of your body, including debilitating headaches.
What causes neck pain?
While neck pain is common, it’s not normal. There are several ways to tweak your neck that’ll leave you feeling some discomfort. Here are some common ways people injure their neck:
- Poor sleeping position.
- Muscle tension or strain.
- Neck or spinal injury.
- Arthritis.
- Poor posture.
- Stress.
- Clenched jaw.
How to get rid of neck pain
Nobody wants to live with neck pain. There are some things that you can try to get rid of your neck pain, including:
- Creating an ergonomic workplace.
- Reducing your driving time.
- Taking stretching breaks
- Changing how you sleep.
- Looking at your phone less.
- Applying heat and ice.
If you’ve tried all these options and you’re still experiencing neck pain, consider physical therapy to help you find relief. A physical therapist can work with you to treat your neck pain in the following ways:
- Evaluation — The first thing your physical therapist will do is perform an assessment to determine the source of your pain and discomfort. This evaluation will allow your physical therapist to develop a customized plan to help you get rid of your neck pain.
- Therapeutic exercises — Depending on your evaluation results, your physical therapist may use several types of exercises to help reduce your stiffness in your neck by stretching, strengthening and straightening your neck.
- Postural correction — If your assessment showed that your pain stems from poor posture, your physical therapist will work with you to improve your posture.
- At-home exercises — While your physical therapy appointments are a key part of helping you get rid of neck pain, continuing your exercises at home can help speed up your success. Make sure you work closely with your specialist to understand what types of exercises you should do at home and how often you should do them.
At Panther Physical Therapy, our expert physical therapists can work with you to determine the root cause of your neck pain and then create a plan to get you feeling relief. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.