Top neck and shoulder pain treatments: What’s causing my neck pain? Most neck pain comes from muscle strains after repetitive or sudden movements, like whiplash. These can lead to chronic pain, especially if you have poor posture. Joint damage and inflammation are also common causes of neck pain. Joint damage is often caused by traumatic injury, and inflammation may come with age and joint disease, like arthritis. There are also structural problems that can cause neck pain, like bone spurs and pinched nerves. Customized strength exercises — Strengthening the muscles that support your neck, including your shoulders, core and back, can decrease some types of neck pain. Your PT will show you how to do the exercises and create a plan for increasing and maintaining your strength. Read more details on neck pain.
Chronic pain is a health issue affecting individuals globally. Unlike pain that arises from a specific injury and typically fades as the injury heals, chronic pain lingers for extended periods ranging from weeks to years. This persistent condition can have an impact on one’s quality of life. Thankfully physical therapy provides approaches to effectively manage pain by aiming to alleviate discomfort, enhance mobility and boost overall well being. Exercise plays a pivotal role in therapy to help manage chronic pain. Firstly, customized exercise programs are designed by therapists to strengthen muscles, increase flexibility, and improve fitness. Additionally, these routines may involve exercises for strength training and stretching exercises tailored to individual needs.
Arthritis, a condition marked by pain and stiffness, benefits significantly from physical therapy. This treatment method helps in managing arthritis symptoms by incorporating personalized exercises and techniques, thus enhancing joint mobility and reducing discomfort. Furthermore, these approaches not only help alleviate discomfort but also enhance overall joint function. Approaches: Engaging in impactful activities to boost heart health and joint flexibility. Participating in strength training programs that help stabilize joints. Utilizing joint mobilization methods to combat stiffness and increase range of motion. Exploring heat therapies as part of pain management strategies.
Sleeping helps your mind and body reset for the following day. However, if you sleep with unsupportive pillows or in an awkward position, you might wake up with an ache in your neck. It’s important to alleviate your neck pain from sleeping as soon as possible. You should also take the proper measures to reduce it in the future. When you wake up in the morning with neck pain, it can make you want to lie right back down. It’s especially true if it comes along with stiffness and reduced neck mobility. But since life doesn’t stop for neck pain, it’s important to know the safest and most effective treatment options to alleviate it. You also want to be proactive about reducing the risk of it happening again. There are many different courses of action to relieve and prevent neck pain from sleeping. Some options can be done on your own, while others may require the insight and assistance of a health care professional, such as a physician or physical therapist. See even more information at shoulderneckpain.com.
While it can feel like waking up with neck pain will ruin your day, there are plenty of ways that you can reduce your pain so that you can continue on with your daily routines. But if it becomes a consistent issue, then physical therapy is an effective option. When initiated within a few days of symptom onset, such neck pain can frequently be eliminated in less than a handful of sessions. Physical therapy offers a non-invasive, technologically advanced recovery option. You may also need to consider the following options: Over-the-counter pain relievers: Aspirin and ibuprofen can keep discomfort at bay. Be sure your chosen pain relief medication doesn’t interact with prescriptions. Cold or hot compresses: Heat encourages circulation, while cold fights inflammation. Apply ice immediately after an injury occurs. Switch over to using heat once you start feeling stiffness. Gentle stretching motions: While you want to avoid stressing injured tissues, slow and steady movements encourage circulation. Your PT will provide safe stretching recommendations. Epsom soaks: Dissolve some Epsom salt in a warm bath for relaxation and relief. Soaks of 20 to 30 minutes long may relieve muscle pain.
Mild to moderate neck pain can usually be treated at home and improves within a couple of weeks, but it’s important to seek immediate medical attention if you develop severe neck pain suddenly due to an injury, such as after a car accident or a fall. You should also consult a healthcare provider if, in addition to neck pain, you’re also experiencing numbness or loss of strength in your arms or hands, or a shooting pain down your arm. Neck pain can be axial (limited mostly to the neck) or radicular (extending to areas such as the shoulders or arms). It may be accompanied by a headache, or by numbness or tingling in one or both arms. Neck pain can also be acute, lasting days to weeks, or chronic, lasting longer than three months to several years.