Most people experience neck pain following a sports injury, accident or after sleeping in a bad position. The pain may be mild or severe and often requires medical attention to achieve relief. While the treatment option used depends on the patient’s condition and the cause of pain, physical therapy is one of the most effective treatments for neck pain.
Neck pain treatment using physical therapy
Physical therapy for neck pain is recommended in cases related to nonspecific chronic neck pain, recovery from a neck injury and recovery from surgery. The goal of physical therapy when treating neck pain is:
- Reducing pain and stiffness
- Improving the neck’s posture and range of motion
- Developing dynamic strength of the neck and supporting muscles
- Developing strategies that prevent recurrence of pain
Physical therapy for neck pain involves both active and passive treatments. The initial phase of our treatment plan involves more passive therapies. However, we do incorporate more active treatments as time goes on. Our passive treatments help to relax your neck while preparing your body for active therapeutic exercises.
Passive physical therapy for neck pain
These are treatments applied without the effort of the patient. Passive physical therapy helps reduce inflammation, cramping, stiffness, muscle spasms and pain in your neck region. Numerous treatment options are available for passive physical therapy. These include deep tissue massage, hot therapies, cold therapies, massage therapy, ultrasound, traction and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).
Active physical therapy for neck pain
In this phase, we help you learn how to perform body exercises and stretches that will improve the flexibility and strength of your neck. This helps your muscles become less painful so you can maintain a good posture without straining the cervical spine.
Other than physical therapy, health professionals can also recommend additional treatments such as surgery and muscle relaxing-injections. The treatment option depends on the severity of your neck pain.
How we treat neck pain
Our neck pain treatment options in Portage, Michigan aim to help you correct your neck posture and incorporate simple ergonomic principles into your lifestyle. We work with all our patients to ensure improvement with every session of our physical therapy program.
If you are experiencing chronic pain, contact us today for more information on neck pain treatment options or to schedule an initial appointment.