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| Physical Therapists treat 12 out of the 13 most common types of neck pain. Shouldn't you consider seeing your physical therapist, so you can get the relief you need? |
Why Does my Neck Hurt?
This is one of the most common questions I get as a physical therapist, right up there with "Why Does my Back Hurt?"
There are 13 common reasons for neck pain. Most of them can be treated by your Physical Therapist without the need for visiting your physician (learn more about Direct Access).
1. Musculoskeletal Pain. Pain due to a dysfunction of your musculoskeletal system is the most likely cause of your neck pain. This is because your muscles can be inflamed, the bones of your joints can pinch your nerves, and you may just have some muscle tension. There are several types of musculoskeletal pains.
2. Radiculopathy. Radiculopathy is pain in your neck from a pinched nerve that radiates down into your arms.
3. Bulging Disc. When a disc is bulging, it is moving into the space around your spine that it is not meant to occupy. One of the effects of this is pressure on your nerves, which can be an underlying cause of Radiculopathy.
4. Headache Pain. Headaches can go both ways. You can have muscle tension in your neck leading to a headache, but when you have a headache it can also cause you to tense up the muscles of your neck. Either direction means you need to get a release of the tension in your neck.
5. Tight Muscles. Tight muscles can have a variety of causes including a recent injury from a hit or a car accident.
6. Poor Posture. One of the common reasons for tight muscles is poor posture. This is common for those who are routinely working at a desk or computer. You lean over, or your workstation is not properly situated for your height, your chair is not properly set-up for you, and you suffer from postural deficits in the neck or spine and your muscles are not helping you.
7. Curve of Your Neck. When your spine is too flattened or too excessive in your neck it means that your head is too far forward or too far back, respectively. This can be due to the way you sit or stand, but it may also be due to other underlying postural insufficiencies that will require some stretching and strengthening to resolve.
8. Pain secondary to concussion. After a concussion it is common to have pain in the neck. This should shock no one, as a concussion takes nearly 10 times the amount of force as a neck injury from the same type of hit.
9. Muscle Strain. Whether from strenuous lifting or a crick in your neck after "sleeping wrong," muscle strain that occurs in your neck is almost sure to leave you in some pain until you can get the muscles of your neck to release. (Consider whether ice or heat might help).
10. Referred Pain. Much like with a headache, shoulder pain can be referred from, or to your neck. That means that you might have injured your shoulder and now you are feeling pain in your neck, or you might have injured your neck and now feel pain in your shoulder.
11. Joint Pain. Your bones themselves are not going to hurt, but when their movement is restricted it impacts the surrounding soft tissue including your muscles and nerves. If your joints are restricted, there are several things physical therapist can do to help get them moving again.
12. Facet Pain. Facet pain is a specific example of joint pain that occurs in the space between your vertebrae. Facet pain may occur due to a bulging disc, but it may also be a separate issue that needs to be addressed.
13. Nerve Pain.
14. Pain from a tumor. A Physical Therapist cannot help you with pain from a tumor directly, but she can make a referral back yto your doctor, make sure that surrounding tissues can support your neck, and if the tumor is cancerous, your physical therapist can even help with getting your strength back after treatment.
Why Does My Neck Hurt When I'm Standing Up?
Posture is the biggest reason for neck pain while you’re standing up, particularly when your head is too far forward or too far back. It can also happen with whiplash after a car accident.
Your muscles become too tight, the bones and joints aren’t moving properly, and you might have a pinched nerve, or a compressed disc. If you are having pain when you’re standing, but you are not having pain while lying down gravity is making the problem worse, which is a good indication of a bulging disc (although, not always).
If you were having neck pain you need to be checked out by your physical therapist they can help you identify the root cause and make a referral back to your physician if it’s something more than muscular skeletal
Why Does My Neck Hurt When I'm Lying Down?
Most likely due to your pillow or poor posture while you were lying down
Lying on your stomach is the worst position for your neck and back
If you are lying on your side you need to make sure that you have a neutral posture throughout your spine
If you are having pain while lying down it is highly likely that this is because you have a pinched nerve or the bones in your neck or pinching a nerve, or a muscle is angry and an inflamed
But when you’re lying down your muscles are generally more relaxed so that is less common reason for pain when you are lying down
When it comes to physical therapy treatment for low back pain, we are going to try everything we can to get you moving. A physical therapist is a partner in your care. We want your feedback, we need your feedback so that we can get the most out of our time with you. Only you know what feels best to you, and we need to find whatever we can to help you get out of pain.
Treatment of Neck Pain
We know that when you are in pain, you want treatment for your Neck Pain that is going to provide relief. There are a variety fo things your physical therapist can do to help you reduce your neck pain, including:
1. Stretches.
2. Exercises for strength and posture.
3. Manual Therapy.
4. Traction.
5. Modalities.
6. Education. (especially pain neuroscience education).
For more information on neck pain relief, check out our guide to Neck Pain Treatment.
-FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers of Oklahoma City
FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers of Oklahoma City provides orthopedic physical therapy in Lakeside, The Village, Nichols Hills and surrounding NW Oklahoma City. Our physical therapists are specially trained to treat all types of pain, movement disorders, and musculoskeletal dysfunction including Neck Pain. Our practitioners take a patient-centered individualized approach that focuses on your Neck Pain Relief. If you are unsure about the cause of your Neck Pain, or you want to see the FYZICAL Difference for yourself, schedule a free consultation today.