Health blog Category: Neck Pain
Herniated and Bulging Discs: Symptoms to Look For
Radiating pain, numbness or tingling is a possible indicator that one or more of your nerves may be irritated by a bulging or herniated disc.
What are Discs and What do They do?
The bones in our spine are called vertebrae and in-between the vertebrae are our discs, these discs act as shock absorbers. These control the spine’s range of motion, flexibility and keep the bones and spinal cord safe from damage.
Read full blogResults of Not Treating Neck Problems
Think back to the times when you have fallen asleep in an awkward position and had the unexpected pleasure of waking up to a “crick in your neck.” You know when you have an aching neck it makes it very difficult to turn your head to check your blind spots when driving, bend your head forward to check your cell phone, or enjoy knitting or crocheting without discomfort or pain.
Now let’s say you’re like most people who think “oh, it’s not that bad”. When not handled appropriately and immediately, this small “crick” in your neck can lead to:
- Tension headaches
- Facet joint (the junction between two neck vertebrae) dysfunction
- Inability to perform daily tasks safely
Good News! Physical Therapy can address many of these ‘pain in the neck’ problems. It’s important to remember that in order to address any kind of pain or discomfort for good, you need to handle the root cause of that problem.
Read full blogKey Ways to Relieve Neck & Back Discomfort
There are many common causes of both back pain and neck pain. However, both of these can be treated with physical therapy.
Causes of Back Pain:
- Changes in the spine’s anatomy
- Lumbar disc herniation
- occurs when the gel-like interior of the disc leaks outward and irritates the nerve roots. It typically causes a stabbing pain in the back of the legs and back pain.
- Lumbar degenerative disc disease
- Wear and tear on the spinal discs can lead to lumbar degenerative disc disease.
3 Sources of Neck Problems, With 1 Solution
Most of us spend hours at our desk at work, and often are looking down at our cell phone or computer during our free time, as well as time you spend relaxing in front of the TV. What you may not realize is how all of this affects your posture. Over time, these repetitive tasks put us into a position called forward head posture, in which your head and neck protrude forward into a flexed position.
Read full blogNeck Problem Leading to Pain Elsewhere
With working from home, neck pain is a common problem we are seeing in our clinic. The change in desk set up, chairs or extended time sitting and working at a desk can be a major contributor to neck pain. Neck problems can vary in severity and can also lead to feeling pain in other parts of your body. One of several neck problems we see is called cervical radiculopathy. Cervical radiculopathy is a fancy way of saying your neck pain is caused by a nerve problem.
Read full blogFacets in Our Neck
Are you having neck pain but are not sure why? You notice you can’t turn your head as far as you used to and you are having pain and muscle spasms. If this is true, you could be experiencing cervical facet dysfunction.
What is a facet?
Facets are joints in your spine. They are located on the back and side of the bones in out spine, or vertebra. These joints play an important role in allowing our necks to move.
Read full blogNeck Problem From a Nerve Problem
A common problem we see in our clinic is people experiencing neck pain. Neck pain can be caused from many different things and can vary in how severe the pain is. One common neck problem we see is called cervical radiculopathy. Cervical radiculopathy is a fancy way of saying your neck pain is caused by a nerve problem. In many cases, people with this condition will feel the effects of the damaged or pinched nerve in other parts of their body.
How Does Cervical Radiculopathy Happen?
Read full blogCommon Neck Injuries
Your neck is a vital yet vulnerable part of your body due to its ability to move in many directions while holding the weight of your head (average wt 10 lbs). While neck pain (cervical spine) is not as commonly treated as low back pain (lumber spine) millions of people will experience it at some point in there lives. While the majority of everyday neck pain and stiffness will alleviate over time without surgery it is important to understand neck pain and causes.
Read full blogCan Stress Cause Neck Pain?
Many people experience neck pain but aren’t sure what is causing their pain. They may not recall changing anything in their routine or moving differently that could cause them to be in pain. One source that could be to blame is stress. There are many stressful influencers in our life right now. There are many uncertainties that can cause your stress levels to be higher than usual. Could stress really be causing me to physically hurt?
Read full blogForward Head Posture
Posture plays a huge role in all of our activities. We are so busy throughout the day that we usually don’t pay much attention to our posture, especially while we work, watch tv, or stand. The increased use of cell phones, tablets and computers has made forward head posture a problem for many and a common postural problem we see in our clinic.
Over time, forward head posture can cause:
– Neck pain
– Decreased neck motion
– Shoulder pain
– Decreased shoulder motion
– Upper back pain
