How A Physiotherapist Can Help You Recover From Neck Pain
Neck pain is a common complaint and often resolves without the need for treatment. However, if you have ongoing neck pain that lasts for more than a couple of weeks, it's a good idea to look at treatment options to help recovery. Your doctor can prescribe medication to reduce any inflammation and help you cope with the pain as you go about your day, but medication may only mask your symptoms without treating the underlying problem. Ongoing neck pain can be the result of poor posture, muscle strain, your sleeping position or a slipped disc. It can also be an early sign of arthritis, which can cause excessive wear on the joints of the vertebrae. Neck pain can negatively impact your quality of life and interfere with your ability to do your job, so if you'd like to treat your neck pain without drugs, a physiotherapist can help you recover.
What To Expect During Your First Appointment
When you attend your first appointment, the physiotherapist will carry out an assessment of your neck to determine your range of movement, the severity of pain and the degree of inflammation. They will take full details of your symptoms and may arrange for you to have an X-ray if they think something serious is at the root of your neck pain, such as a hairline fracture or slipped disc. A thorough assessment of your neck pain will allow the physiotherapist to offer the most appropriate treatment and provides a baseline that can be referred back to when assessing the effectiveness of treatment.
Treatment Options For Neck Pain
Your physiotherapist will suggest a treatment approach based on the findings of their initial assessment. They may recommend a custom-fit supportive collar to relieve pressure caused by inflammation. This may be particularly beneficial for those who have a pinched nerve or slipped disc. Reducing inflammation can improve the range of motion in your neck and allow you to safely carry out some exercises your physiotherapist will show you. These exercises are targeted to the problem area in your neck and can be used to strengthen the muscles in your neck, reduce stiffness and improve posture. If the pain you're experiencing is severe, your physiotherapist can also provide you with a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) machine. This is a small portable machine that can block pain signals from the nerves in your neck from reaching your brain for a few hours at a time. It can be used to allow you to loosen and strengthen your neck muscles with exercises that would otherwise be too painful for you to carry out.
If you're experiencing persistent neck pain, consider working with a physiotherapist to resolve the problem. Contact a physiotherapist for more information.