Enough of That Pain in the Neck

It’s no wonder we say something is a “pain in the neck” if it’s bothersome, constraining, or wearisome. Actual physical neck pain is something you can’t just ignore. Whether it’s looking over your shoulder to check your blind spot while driving, backing into a parking spot, watching live sports, or shaving or putting on makeup in the mirror, neck mobility is something you constantly employ without ever even thinking about until it causes you discomfort. Neck pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders in the world with an annual prevalence rate of more than 30% of adults in the United States. Sadly, 5% of neck pain sufferers will become disabled as a result, and it’s ranked as the 4th leading cause of disability worldwide.

Causes of neck pain are sundry. Some common ones are:

• Injuries

Rear-end auto collisions can easily result in whiplash injury. This occurs if the head jerks backward and forward, causing strain to the neck’s soft tissues.

• Poor Posture

Hours hunched over a computer, smartphone, or television often strains the supporting muscles of the neck; especially if they are weaker than they should be for lack of proper use. “Text Neck Syndrome” arrive with the advent of the smartphone’s ubiquity and is not only endured by adults, but is increasingly common in children and adolescents.

• Worn Joints

Arthritis of the neck, more properly referred to as cervical spondylosis, occurs when disks and joints in the neck degenerate, possibly forming bone spurs that can painfully grind.

• Obesity

Being unhealthily overweight actually increases the risk of persistent moderate or severe neck pain after a motor vehicle collision, and places you at higher risk to develop osteoarthritis in the neck. Authors of a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology concluded that physical inactivity and high Body Mass Index (BMI) are associated with an increased risk of chronic pain in the neck.

If you are someone who can relate to the problems outlined in this article, we are pleased to be able to end it on a high note of good news. Neck pain is very often treatable. Licensed Physical Therapy Doctors of Florida’s expertise lies in helping you move without pain, and doing it without prescription drugs or surgery. Neck pain is a problem with which our Physical Therapy Doctors and Assistants hold a host of successful patient testimonials. Check out many more stellar reviews on our Google listing. Let’s revisit the above neck-pain-causing problems and learn about how Physical Therapy addresses them.

• Injuries

Injury rehabilitation under the watchful eye and guidance of a pain expert helps to ensure that the recovery is speedy and complete. Poor or slowed healing needlessly extends the amount of time you suffer. Allow our therapists to design a treatment plan specific to your situation.

• Poor Posture

Physical Therapists know how to alleviate muscular imbalances and joint misalignment caused by habitually poor posture. We can retrain your body to hold itself in a posture that is optimum for your body type and habits.

• Worn Joints

Arthritis is not an untreatable condition. We know how to help you learn how to move in a way that won’t exacerbate your joint pain, while simultaneously improving the supporting structures to take the load off painful parts.

• Obesity

Physical Therapists understand whole body health. A plan to strengthen your muscles and joints while decreasing excess fat weight will go farther than you may think possible in remedying your neck pain. One scientific study in Finland showed that strength training caused 75% of neck pain sufferers to report considerable or complete pain relief.

Find out how the Licensed Physical Therapy Doctors and Assistants right here in Bradenton are serving all of Manatee and Sarasota Counties residents by helping them move without pain! Call us at (941) 264-1414, email us info@ptdoctorsfl.com, or send us a direct message here.