Neck pain is one of the most common forms of distress BioMotion Physical Therapy receives. Every once in awhile, a person will have neck pain so severe, they’ll have no choice but to seek help. Some people get neck pain worse than others. A lot of people get average neck pain, from a crick to a twinge of muscle pain.
Because neck pain is such a general classification, it’s important to know the types of specific neck pain that is involved. By isolating neck pain to specific examples, methods of treatment will be better available to you.
BioMotion’s physical therapists specialize in neck pain treatment and therapy. We are located in Schertz, TX but also serve the greater San Antonio area including Cibolo. Seek physical therapy with our leading therapists and start treating your neck pain today.
Before we begin examining the causes and treatments for neck pain, we need to know how the neck works. The neck is a simpler way of classify the upper portion of your spine. With sizes varying from 3 to 7 inches high and no wider than a coffee cup, your neck is able to support your head, which can weigh 11 pounds of more.
This would be the same as making a wood block support a bowling ball. For awhile, the wood block would succeed. At some point, the wood block would either tip, give way, or shatter to a million pieces. Yet the neck is able to hold the head up constantly. Even better, the neck is able to move along with the head.
The neck is also a very complex machine. While it has a simple name, it is actually comprised of many different parts. If one of these elements are broken, then the whole system is thrown into chaos. Instead, these elements work in tandem with each other a majority of the time.
Your neck consists of:
Seven vertebrae – Vertebrae are the portion of the back that make up the spine. It supports the body, allowing humans to have upright movement. It also houses necessary nerve connections and acts as an anchor for muscles and tendons.Vertebrae are crucial to the body. The neck has seven vertebrae, servicing as the connection point between the head and the rest of the body. Nerve connections go directly from the brain through the neck and to the rest of the body.In terms of movement, the vertebrae are sectioned off. The vertebrae are separated into two uppers and five lowers in the neck. The two upper handle lateral rotation of the head. The five lower vertebrae handle rotation up and down.
Discs separating the vertebrae – To provide flexibility and prevent wear and tear, vertebrae are separated from each other by discs. Discs allow for fluid movement, stretching, and bending for your body.
Discs are comprised of two key elements within: Nucleus Pulposus – in simpler language, this is the fluid contained within the disc. The fluid is comprised of a protein-based fluid. Annulus Fibrosus – the tough coating of the outside of the disc. The annulus fibrosis is able to contain the fluid within the disc. Nerves also run through the outer coating as well.
Cartilage – Instead of the discs and vertebrae meeting directly, they are separated with a thin layer of cartilage. The cartilage allows the great amount of flexibility that the spine has, due to its firm, yet pliable, functionality.
Facet joints connecting the vertebrae. Facet joints are key for the vertebrae to function. These small joints allow the discs to be interconnected with each other. This allows for the spine (and neck) to operate as one smooth entity.
Ligaments connecting the vertebrae. A ligament is a piece of connective tissue that is able to join bones, joints, and cartilage together. Without this key element of bands and tissue, the body would not be able to move. Instead, ligaments are able to join all of these pieces together, creating a fluidly moving body part.
What Causes Neck Pain?
Neck pain has a variety of causes. In order to properly treat the neck pain that you have, you have to deduce what exactly the cause is. Not every treatment is going to be the same, though the pain may feel similar.
Often, neck pain can come about as some sort of trauma. Either minor or major, the neck is a critical portion of the body that can experience trauma quite easily. From car accidents to something as simple as a bad step, the neck can become damaged easily.
Additionally, a pinched nerve could be the reason you have neck pain. The pinched nerve could be a result of trauma, a herniated disc, or possible bone spurs. Any of these things can press down on a nerve and cause pain.
Muscle strain is also a common cause. Through over-exertion or possible exhaustion, muscle strain can happen quite suddenly or some about over a certain amount of time. It’s important to keep vigilant on how much you exert yourself physically each day.
To a much lesser extent, tumors and genetic predispositions can cause severe neck pain. In the event that these are the causes, something more intensive than traditional means may be required. Surgery or other invasive procedures may be able to correct such causes.
How Can You Treat Neck Pain?
There are several short term remedies you can do at home. If you have neck pain, the best thing that you can do immediately is rest. The more strain you place on your neck, the more you’ll worsen the pain. Don’t over-exert your neck through strenuous physical activity without the assistance of a professional.
Additionally, the addition of hot and/or cold temperatures along with immobilizing your neck can help your situation. The hot and cold temperatures can treat any muscle stress or possible inflammation as a result of neck strain. Render your neck immobile can keep the condition of your neck from becoming worse.
Medication such as ibuprofen can help reduce the feeling of pain. Ibuprofen works as an anti-inflammatory drug, which means that any affected area will have less blood flow to the hurt area. In some cases, steroid shots have been utilized to significantly reduce pain.
BioMotion Treats Neck Pain in Schertz, TX
The thing about neck pain is that it can be treated. The variety of methods out there that can help alleviate the neck pain of people is tremendous. What is important is that you get the exact right kind of relief for you.
That’s where your Schertz trusted physical therapists come in. In order to help relieve neck pain the best, physical therapy is encouraged the most. Instead of just taking pain medication, which causes relief, it’s a good idea to also build up the muscle tolerance and strength in your neck. By strengthening the neck and working through the problem, this creates a lesser chance of neck pain problems returning in the future.
BioMotion is obviously passionate about physical therapy. What we’re even more passionate about are solutions. We provide solutions to every single one of our clients that walk through our doors. We want to empower our patients with the tools and the knowledge that will leave them in a better place.
We also want to provide the right solutions to each one of our clients. That’s why we take the care and time to make each plan correct. We work with patients to craft an individualized solution to their care. The plan of action to address your neck pain won’t necessarily be the same as another persons.
Get Specialized Neck Pain Treatment in Schertz
You have different needs than another person. A generalized plan doesn’t help you do that. We take that into account and empower those differences, helping you get past your problems. Your life has been stopped long enough due to your pain. Visit our physical therapy center in Schertz, Texas and start neck pain treatement with BioMotion.
BioMotion wants to get you back to living your life.
If you’re experiencing neck pain as a result of an injury or from a chronic health condition, it’s important to visit a specialist who can recommend a comprehensive program designed to facilitate treatment as safely as possible.
You should consider seeking professional neck pain treatment in Schertz if you experience throbbing pain of any kind, or if the pain is accompanied by swelling, redness, chest tightness or difficulty breathing.
The most common cause of neck pain is tightness of the neck muscles—often caused by undue strain. Strains occur when a muscle is stretched beyond its limits. In most cases, neck muscle strains occur because of poor posture or because the neck lacks a proper amount of support. Other times, neck pain comes as a result of injury, aging, or degenerative diseases.
It shouldn’t be. While our physical therapy treatments may cause some temporary soreness, they should never cause acute pain. At Biomotion PT, we do our best to only recommend pain-free exercises and treatments, while avoiding exercises that could put undue stress on your neck.
