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Do you dread having to look up, down, or to one side because of the pain you know you’ll experience? Do you struggle for hours to find a sleeping position that doesn’t torture your neck? Has your neck never been the same since that scary car crash or sports accident? Neck pain can make ordinary actions and tasks a major chore, ruining your quality of life. If you’re sick of that pain in the neck and you’re looking for non-surgical methods of ridding yourself of it, physical therapy can very likely turn your life around. Contact our Hazel Green, AL or Fayetteville, TN physical therapist to get the facts about this non-invasive answer to neck pain!
What Is Neck Pain?
Nearly one-third of Americans suffer from neck pain every year, especially individuals in the 30-to-50 age bracket. Neck pain take take a variety of forms, sometimes in combination with other uncomfortable symptoms and limitations. The most common area in which people feel neck pain is the top rear of the neck, near the base of the skull. You may also experience pain radiating to your arms or shoulders. This pain may be either acute (resolving as an underlying cause is resolved) or chronic (continuing for several months or years, either constantly or in recurring bouts).
What Causes Neck Pain?
Where does neck pain come from? In many cases, the cause is a violent one. A traumatic accident can do acute damage to the complex structures and delicate tissues that make up the neck. But even more frequently, neck pain develops gradually in connection with an underlying chronic issue. Some of the more common causes of neck pain include:
Bulging or herniated discs –
Discs which protrude from the spinal column can press against the nerve roots of the cervical spine.
Osteoarthritis –
Osteoarthritis of the facet joints (which articulate the neck vertebrae) can cause chronic pain.
Poor posture –
A stooped posture, such as the “text neck” caused by always gazing downward at your smartphone, can strain the neck muscles.
Repetitive motion injuries –
If your job or sport causes you to crane or turn your head over and over, you may develop a repetitive motion injury such as tendonitis.
Whiplash –
A violent impact can throw your head around with enough force to tear your neck muscles, sprain ligaments, herniated discs, and pinched nerves.
Less commonly, neck pain can also be associated with diseases ranging from cancer to meningitis. Even lifestyle choices such as smoking or pillow choice can raise your neck pain risk.
How Physical Therapy Helps With Neck Pain
Physical therapy is an ideal solution for many neck pain sufferers. It provides more lasting relief than medications without introducing the risks and recuperation time of surgery. Our Hazel Green, AL or Fayetteville, TN physical therapist understands how the various structures of the neck should work together, and what kinds of symptoms indicate specific disorders or injuries. Once our Hazel Green, AL or Fayetteville, TN physical therapist has examined your cervical spine, range of motion, symptoms (including neurological symptoms referred to the upper extremities), and medical history, we can create a physical therapy regimen to help you tame that nagging discomfort. Common physical therapy options for treating neck pain include:
Exercises –
In spite of the familiar image of the neck pain patient spending all his time in a neck brace, exercises to mobilize the neck can do a world of good as long as they’re prescribed wisely and performed carefully. These exercises can limber your neck muscles and give them the strength they need to support your head properly.
Physiotherapy techniques –
Our Hazel Green, AL or Fayetteville, TN physical therapist may recommend heat, ice, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, massage therapy and other techniques to ease inflammation, relieve neck spasms, and speed healing.
Lifestyle advice –
Our Hazel Green, AL or Fayetteville, TN physical therapist can recommend changes to your work environment, sleep position, pillow, everyday posture, and any other alterations to help you keep your neck comfortable.
Our Hazel Green, AL or Fayetteville, TN Physical Therapists are Ready to Help
Why suffer from a pain in the neck when physical therapy can take that pain away? Contact our Hazel Green, AL, and Fayetteville, TN physical therapists to obtain that welcome relief!
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Have you got a back injury that causes you pure agony? Maybe you have not just back pain but also other symptoms like a pins and needles sensation in your back, buttocks, or legs. Back pain and the sciatic nerve disorder called sciatica are often connected, and they can come together to make your life absolutely miserable. When symptoms like these occur, it’s completely normal to react with worry and frustration — after all, nobody wants to think about going through invasive, painful, and potentially dangerous surgery to get help, but you may be worried that you’ll have to do so. There’s good news, though: The majority of back pain and sciatica is very treatable using totally noninvasive and nonsurgical methods like the physical therapy we offer. Contact TheraFit™ Physical Therapy & Fitness Center in Hazel Green, AL, and Fayetteville, TN today to schedule your visit with an experienced physical therapist.
What are back pain and sciatica?
The physical therapy team is often asked to explain more about sciatica and back pain. Even though you may feel pretty well acquainted with the awful pain, you may not know exactly why it happens. This information can be incredibly helpful as you move through your physical therapy program.
Your spine is the most important component of your back. The vertebrae, facet joints, discs, muscles, and connective tissues all work together to give you the support you need to move comfortably and efficiently. However, as your physical therapist can tell you, it doesn’t take much for something to go very wrong, leaving you in need of physical therapy right away.
The back pain that leads you to physical therapy may be chronic (lasting for months or even years,) or it may be acute (short-term pain that has some kind of underlying issue like an accident or injury.) No matter what kind of pain you’ve got, your physical therapist is here to help with a physical therapy program for pain relief.
Sciatica occurs when your sciatic nerve, or the roots of your sciatic nerve, malfunction or sustain damage. Your sciatic nerve is a huge nerve that’s responsible for relaying commands and impulses. If your sciatic nerve gets pinched or otherwise damaged, it can’t continue to perform its job. The result can be motor control issues in your leg, shooting pain down the leg, numbness in the leg or foot, or a pins and needles feeling in the buttocks, leg, or foot. As you’ll learn in physical therapy, relieving the other symptoms is just as important as relieving the sciatica pain.
Causes of back pain and sciatic nerve pain
There are a variety of causes of back pain and sciatic nerve pain. Your physical therapist will review the potential causes of pain with you when you’re starting your physical therapy program. By knowing the causes, you can better tailor a physical therapy program for your needs, and your physical therapist can help you make lifestyle changes that may help. Causes may include all of the following.
- Weight gain, including pregnancy-related weight gain.
- Degenerative disc disease that occurs due to aging. This can include osteoarthritis, as well.
- Herniated disc, which can occur after an accident or injury but can also occur over time
- Auto accidents
- Sports injuries
No matter what the reason for the back pain and sciatica, your physical therapist is here to help you feel better.
How physical therapy can help you heal from back pain and sciatica
Studies have demonstrated that physical therapy is clearly effective for back pain, and it’s also a great way to alleviate sciatica symptoms. Your physical therapist can do a comprehensive evaluation so they can design a program that really works for you. Your evaluation takes the cause of pain, the type of pain, and your history all into account.Treatment often includes various effective therapies such as corrective exercises, ice and heat therapy, and customized lifestyle recommendations. You can take control of your pain today simply by contacting our physical therapy team now. Get in touch to take your first step towards freedom from pain at Hazel Green, AL, and Fayetteville, TN centers.
