Neck pain is one of the most common expensive problems in America. It is so common in fact that roughly two out of every three Americans experience some level of neck pain in their life and around five percent of the United States population at any one time has neck pain severe enough to be debilitating (over 30 million people). 1 If left unchecked, this pain may progress into something severe that can decrease quality of life and lower a person’s overall wellbeing.

While options such as medication, surgery and bracing may come to mind, unfortunately these methods rarely address the underlying cause and pain may reoccur as a result.  Multiple studies have shown both short and long term success for treating neck pain as well as headaches with physical therapy through a combination of spinal manipulation, strength training, and patient education. 2 & 3

Whether the problem is related to the muscles, joint or nerves; whether it stays in the neck or causes symptoms down the arms or back; physical therapy has been shown to improve symptoms, correct impairments and decrease pain while improving overall function. 4 This is done by not only addressing the painful symptoms, but also the underlying causes of pain (such as muscle imbalance, joint stiffness, improper posture, etc.) as well as providing you with information on what is causing the problem and how to prevent it from reoccurring once the symptoms have been addressed.

 

References:
1. Alexander EP. History, physical examination and differential diagnosis of neck pain. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America. 2011 Aug; 22 (3): 383-93.

2. Brontfort et al. Spinal manipulation, medication, or home exercise with advice for acute and subacute neck pain: a randomized trial. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2012 Jan 3; 156:1-10.

3. Gross A et al. Exercises for mechanical neck disorders. Cochrane Database Systematic Reviews. 2015 Jan 28; 1.

4. Walker MJ et al. The effectiveness of manual physical therapy and exercise for mechanical neck pain: a randomized clinical trial. Spine. 2008 Oct 15; 83 (22): 2371-78.