Neck pain is a common complaint and in some cases can be very debilitating. More than half of all people develop neck pain at some point in their life.
At Eccleston Physiotherapy Clinic our Chartered Physiotherapist will take a detailed history of the problem and will carry out a full spinal assessment to diagnose the cause of the neck pain. Following the assessment, the physiotherapist will discuss the cause of the problem with you and create an individual treatment plan to suit your needs.
Types and causes of neck pain include:
Mechanical neck pain is the most common type. This is sometimes called ‘non-specific’ neck pain. Causes include minor injuries or sprains to muscles or ligaments in the neck. Bad posture is also a common cause.
A whiplash injury, usually following a road traffic accident during which the neck moves forwards, and then backwards suddenly, can result in damage to the neck muscles, joint and even the nerves.
Acute (sudden onset) primary torticollis. A torticollis is when the head becomes twisted to one side and it is very painful to move the head back straight. Most cases are thought to be due to a minor injury or poor posture while sleeping which causes one or more muscles on one side of the neck to go in to ‘spasm’.
Degeneration (‘wear and tear’) of the spinal bones (vertebrae) and the ‘discs’ between the vertebrae is a common cause in older people. This is sometimes called cervical spondylosis.
Cervical radiculopathy is when the root of a nerve is pressed on or is injured as it comes out from the spinal cord in the neck (cervical) region. This causes symptoms such as numbness, pins and needles, and weakness in parts of an arm supplied by the nerve in addition to neck pain. The common causes are cervical spondylosis and a disc problem. (The disc is the softer tissue between the bony vertebrae. A disc may push on the nerve – similar to a ‘slipped disc’ which causes low back pain.) Various less common disorders can cause a cervical radiculopathy.
Cervicogenic Headaches (Neck Headaches) are headaches that are caused by the neck referring pain to the head. Often, but not always one-sided, features of the headaches can include reduced range of neck movement and or worsening of the headache by certain neck movements.
FAQs
What treatments will I receive?
This will depend on the cause of the problem. At Eccleston Physiotherapy Clinic our aim is to treat the underlying cause of the problem. Treatments may include Manual Therapy, Exercises to improve control and stability, Acupuncture, Advice on posture.
How many sessions will I need?
Following your assessment the physiotherapist will discuss your treatment plan with you, this may be a one off session for advice or a course of treatment to resolve the problem.
