How do you get rid of neck pain?
Neck pain usually stems from tight inflamed muscles in the neck, shoulders, and upper back, resulting in muscle soreness and stiffness, reduced range of motion, and spasms
The most common causes of neck pain include poor posture, muscle strain, and whiplash injuries. To treat neck pain, we use a mix of manual therapy, strength training and modalities such as dry needling or TENS.
The time it takes to relieve neck pain varies from person to person and is based on the severity of the injury. The best way to reduce your risk of developing neck pain is to practice good posture and change your positions frequently so that you are not putting unwanted stress on certain neck muscles.
What are some symptoms associated with neck pain?
Tightness or inflammation in the muscles of the neck can cause neck pain, stiffness, and discomfort.
The most common symptoms associated with neck pain are:
- Soreness & stiffness in the neck and tops of shoulders
- Reduced range of motion or movement of the neck
- Muscle tightness and spasms
- Cervicogenic headaches
- Pain radiating down the arm
- Numbness, tingling, and arm weakness
What causes neck pain?
Neck pain is most commonly caused by strained muscles in the neck, shoulders, and upper back but can also be caused by other conditions in the body.
Neck pain can develop from:
- Poor posture & poor sleeping posture
- Whiplash injuries
- Arthritic conditions (ex: osteoporosis)
- Auto-immune diseases (ex: rheumatoid arthritis)
- Nerve compression
- Muscle strain
- Muscle overuse
How do you relieve neck pain?
At The Bridge, we help relieve neck pain with a personalized treatment plan based on an individual’s history and the severity of neck pain.
Our treatment plans for neck pain include:
- Hands on treatment including joint mobilizations and soft tissue mobilizations
- Exercise Therapy; focused on improving the mobility and strength of the neck, upper back and shoulder blade region, which all impact posture.
- Modalities such as heat, ice, TENS, and dry needling
Treatment for neck pain vary from person to person based on the severity of the injury, bone and joint health, daily postures, and more.
How do you prevent neck pain?
One of the easiest ways to prevent neck pain is to practice good posture and change your postures frequently, especially if you have a job that requires you to sit in one place for most of the day. At night, it’s recommended to sleep with a pillow that ensures good spinal alignment.
For those that carry a bag or purse on a daily basis, it is also helpful to frequently switch the side that you are carrying the bag to avoid shoulder and neck strain on one side of the body.
If you are at a higher risk of developing neck pain due to your job or hobbies, it is recommended that you work with a physiotherapist to create a custom exercise and stretching routine that will help you maintain good flexibility and strengthen your spine.
The Bridge model consists of three pillars
Relieve pain
Injury treatment and management to relieve pain, including physiotherapy, massage and chiropractic treatment.
get stronger
We introduce strength and mobility exercises to build tolerance to the demands of your activity and to develop more efficient movement patterns, making sure you don’t get hurt again.
improve performance
Performance or return to sport training: Is the last part of our model and reserved for those needing to return to a competitive sport or wanting to train at a higher level.
Contact us today and learn how our team can help you build a recovery plan, in person or virtually.
Book an in-person appointment
Book a session at one of our three locations in Edmonton and Sherwood Park.
