What can I do about chronic neck and shoulder pain?

Getting through a whole day of work. Playing with your kids or grandkids. Lifting a baking tray out of the oven. All these common daily tasks can be much harder to do if you have neck and shoulder pain. 

Are you likely to have to deal with chronic neck and shoulder pain? The answer, unfortunately, is yes. Medical studies report that almost 87% of people will have neck pain in their lifetime, and it’s reported that up to 70% of people will have shoulder pain at some point. However, there are steps you can take to treat chronic neck and shoulder pain, and you can also work with a physical therapist to decrease your pain. 

These two tips can help reduce your chronic neck and shoulder pain

Every person experiences chronic neck and shoulder pain differently. There’s no one answer to treating these issues, but there are some general tips you can try that can help: 

1. Check your sleeping posture — Most Americans spend about seven hours per day sleeping in their bed. This means you need to make sure your bed and pillows aren’t making your pain worse. Check how straight your spine is while you’re lying in bed. If it’s not straight, you may need to get some new pillows or even a new mattress. 

2. Spend less time bending your head forward — Many people spend multiple hours a day looking down at their cellphone or laptop. This forward head posture places extra stress on the shoulders and neck. In fact, tilting the head forward just one or two inches can double the stress on these body parts. 

How can physical therapists help treat chronic neck and shoulder pain?

Sometimes, lifestyle changes may not be enough to reduce chronic neck and shoulder pain. If your pain won’t seem to go away, you should consider working with a physical therapist. These specialists can evaluate your neck and shoulders, and they can also build you an individualized therapy plan to treat your pain. 

Often, such plans will contain therapy methods like: 

• Spinal manipulation
• Cupping
• Myofascial release
• Joint mobilization
• Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM)

Get effective care for your pain at Armor Physical Therapy

Living with chronic neck and shoulder pain? Our physical therapists at Armor Physical Therapy are ready and willing to work with you to reduce your pain. We’ll start by evaluating your neck and shoulders, which is intended to help us pinpoint the root cause of your pain. Next, our team will create a personalized therapy plan based on your evaluation that’s designed to decrease pain and improve mobility. 

Can’t make it in to consult with us about your pain? That’s OK! Our physical therapists can work with you right in your own home thanks to our at-home care and virtual therapy services. Even better, you can start getting our help if you don’t have a doctor’s referral. 

Contact us today for more information about our many beneficial therapy services or to schedule your initial appointment.