Cervical Injuries
The most common sources of neck pain are increased muscle tightness, decreased mobility of the cervical vertebral joints, and nerve root impingement. Neck pain can result from a traumatic injury, a motor vehicle accident, surgery, poor posture, or gradual onset without a specific event such as from osteoarthritis or stenosis. Neurological symptoms such as numbness or tingling of the shoulder and/or arm sometimes accompany neck pain if a nerve root is being compressed.
In the case of a traumatic injury or motor vehicle accident, the muscles and joints of the neck usually experience a quick forceful stretch. This over-stretch of the muscles can lead to soreness and muscle spasms. Along with muscle pain, the vertebral joints of the cervical spine can produce pain by becoming tight and thus limiting motion and limiting functional mobility.
Neck pain due to poor posture is usually due to a forward head position; this position applies increased force and pressure along the paraspinal cervical muscles causing increased muscle tightness, decreased joint mobility, and sometimes neurological symptoms. Postural education and specific exercises to improve posture can help to prevent pain and decrease muscle tension.
Effective physical therapy treatment for neck pain begins with a thorough look at a person's posture, range of motion, neck and shoulder strength, and joint and soft tissue mobility. If neurological symptoms are present, then assessing things such as upper extremity strength, reflexes, and sensation is appropriate. Once the impairments and deficits are identified, treating them as part of a comprehensive program with patient's individual needs and goals in mind is the next step.
Although muscle relaxers and pain medication can help to treat the symptoms and improve daily quality of life, physical therapy aims to treat the impairments causing the symptoms. Physical therapy treatment usually includes hands-on manual therapy to decrease muscle tension and increase joint mobility, exercises to strengthen surrounding muscles and improve posture, and modalities to decrease pain.
In the case of a traumatic injury or motor vehicle accident, the muscles and joints of the neck usually experience a quick forceful stretch. This over-stretch of the muscles can lead to soreness and muscle spasms. Along with muscle pain, the vertebral joints of the cervical spine can produce pain by becoming tight and thus limiting motion and limiting functional mobility.
Neck pain due to poor posture is usually due to a forward head position; this position applies increased force and pressure along the paraspinal cervical muscles causing increased muscle tightness, decreased joint mobility, and sometimes neurological symptoms. Postural education and specific exercises to improve posture can help to prevent pain and decrease muscle tension.
Effective physical therapy treatment for neck pain begins with a thorough look at a person's posture, range of motion, neck and shoulder strength, and joint and soft tissue mobility. If neurological symptoms are present, then assessing things such as upper extremity strength, reflexes, and sensation is appropriate. Once the impairments and deficits are identified, treating them as part of a comprehensive program with patient's individual needs and goals in mind is the next step.
Although muscle relaxers and pain medication can help to treat the symptoms and improve daily quality of life, physical therapy aims to treat the impairments causing the symptoms. Physical therapy treatment usually includes hands-on manual therapy to decrease muscle tension and increase joint mobility, exercises to strengthen surrounding muscles and improve posture, and modalities to decrease pain.