Do you regularly have aches and pains in your neck? If you do, then you’re not alone. Chronic neck pain is a common issue for many people. It can lead to tingling, numbness, and weakness that can often travel into your shoulders, arms, and fingers. It can impact your daily life and often prevent you from doing the things that you love. If you feel as though you relate to this, don’t worry, a good physical therapist can help you get back to feeling like yourself again. If you’re seeking out physical therapy near Bethpage for chronic aches and pains in your neck, experts at Farmingdale Physical Therapy East are ready to help.
Causes:Several things can lead to chronic pain in the neck area. Because our necks hold up our heads, they can be very vulnerable to aches and pains that may lead to restricted motion. Regardless of what is causing your chronic neck pain, physical therapy near Bethpage can be of enormous assistance when it comes to finding relief. The following list includes the most common causes of neck pain:
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Muscle Strain: Our necks can be easily overused. Whether you’re hunched over a computer all day at work, reading in bed, or gritting your teeth — you’re susceptible to a painful muscle strain in your neck.
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Injuries: Whiplash injury is common and can lead to chronic neck pain. It occurs when the head is jerked forward then backward, straining soft tissues in the neck.
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Worn Joints: With age, joints become worn out. Cartilage between bones begins to deteriorate with time, causing bone spurs to form that can cause pain and hinder motion.
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Nerve Compression: Pressure put on the nerves branching out from the spinal cord can lead to nerve compression, often caused by a bone spur or a herniated disk.
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Diseases: rheumatoid arthritis, meningitis, and cancer can be linked to chronic neck pain.
Symptoms:
If you’ve been suffering from chronic neck pain then you’ve most likely experienced some of the following symptoms:
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Headaches
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Decreased mobility
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Muscle tightness or spasms
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Pain when holding head up for long periods
Treatments:
Once you’ve decided to take action, you may seek out one of the following treatment options:
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Physical Therapy: helps by improving posture, introducing neck exercises, utilizing ice or heat and other measures.
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Traction: utilizes pulleys, weights, or an air bladder to stretch the neck gently.
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Short-term Immobilization: not moving your neck so much can help. A soft neck collar can be worn for a while to assist in healing and supporting the neck.
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Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS): places electrodes on the skin in painful areas, delivering electrical impulses to help with pain relief.
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Steroids: Injection of corticosteroids near the nerve roots.
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Surgery: only required in extreme cases, but can be a good option in relieving nerve root or spinal cord compression.
If you are experiencing neck pain and/or related symptoms, our location for physical therapy near Bethpage is the place to go. At Farmingdale PT East, our experienced and well-trained staff are passionate about helping patients. They offer a specially designed healing plan with hands-on care from skilled professionals to help with your recovery. If this interests you, contact us for to help get you started today.