Neck Pain:
Neck pain can occur due to either an acute injury or an insidious onset. There are many structures within and around the neck which can become pain sensitive such as joints, muscles, ligaments, nerves or blood vessels. As a result it is important to understand what’s triggering your neck pain and have it assessed thoroughly. After this a plan to help you understand your neck pain and how to fix it is our main goal.
Before attempting the upcoming exercises in the videos please consult with a health practitioner to ensure you are safe to do them.
Management:
Management of neck pain is guided by a thorough history and assessment of your movement and function.
This allows us to educate you on the likely pain generating structures and put together a plan which consists of advice, manual therapy and a home exercise program.
The goal should always be to empower you to be less reliant on passive interventions and emphasise education and an active care approach.
Remember your practitioner should always explain everything thoroughly and make sure you are comfortable with the management approach. If you prefer not to have certain therapies it’s up to the practitioner to have the skills to adapt the management plan to best suit you.
Exercises:
Level 1:
Managing neck pain initially consists of facilitating gentle mobility within a PAIN FREE range of movement.
Exercises are initially targeted to the surrounding muscles which can commonly spasm in response to injury of the tissues.
As always every case of neck pain is unique and it is important to understand that some positions may aggravate your condition so seek out your healthcare provider for specific advice pertaining to your presentation
Level 2:
The goal of level 2 is to build motor control in the deep neck stabilisers.
This can be performed through multiple chin tuck variations as demonstrated with the goal being to gain better control of neck positions.
Level 3:
The focus of the last series of neck pain exercises is built around the supporting tissues around the neck.
Improving upper back mobility, improving upper back and shoulder muscle strength especially around the rotator cuff is vital in offsetting neck pain long term.
If we can achieve this then the likelihood of recurrent neck pain can be reduced and the goal to return to normal activities is greater.
Maintaining a Healthy Neck:
- Movement is key!
- Get enough sleep. Roughly 8 hours is ideal!
- Keep it zen. Avoid stress or find ways to manage it accordingly
- Minimise sitting for extended periods of time and get up and move
If you would like to know more or know someone who is currently suffering from neck pain please contact us today on (02) 8541 7498
