Neck Pain Lake St. Louis, MO

Neck Pain Lake St. Louis, MO. It not only causes great discomfort, but also limits and affects the movements and postures that you once took for granted. If you happen to be like 75 percent of us, you have experienced neck pain at some point in your life. While the figurative “pain in the neck” is typically not more than a minor nuisance that you can successfully disregard, real neck pain is a serious issue that affects so many of us and can lead to significant pain and loss of function if not treated promptly and thoroughly. Ranking as the number four cause of disability, neck pain accounts for a large portion of the 88 billion dollars in annual healthcare costs for US neck and back complaints.

Do not try to ignore or push past your neck pain. If your life is affected by your neck pain, seek care from an expert as soon as possible. Axes Physical Therapy is the leading Lake St. Louis, MO area provider of physical and occupational therapy and have what it takes to provide the individualized and evidence-based Lake St. Louis, MO neck pain treatment you need to eliminate your pain and get back to being able to do what you love. To discover what we can do to address your Lake St. Louis, MO neck pain, contact us today.

Causes and Risk Factors of Neck Pain in Lake St. Louis, MO

Neck pain is a common condition that the vast majority of us will experience at least once during our lifetime. The intricate and beautifully complex cervical spine is a vital system that serves to provide protection to our nervous system, offer support to our head, and give us a unique combination of flexibility range of motion that make many activities and tasks possible. As such a complex region of the body, the neck is vulnerable to pain and impairment due to overuse, injury and trauma, illnesses, and other conditions.

Common Lake St. Louis, MO Neck Pain Causes

• Sprains and strains
• Arthritis
• Direct trauma
• Injuries
• Joint degeneration
• Inflammation
• Infection
• Bulging disc

  

• Pinched nerve
• Surgery

Around 75% of the population experience neck pain at least once during our lifetime. Luckily, many of us only experience mild neck pain that can often subside without the need for invasive treatment. Still, a lot of other Lake St. Louis, MO neck pain patients experience a more serious case. More than half and as many as 85% of neck pain sufferers experience at least one more episode in a five-year period and 37% of neck pain patients develop chronic neck pain that endures more than a year.

As such a common issue, it is clear that neck pain can happen to anyone in Lake St. Louis, MO. However, there are certain risk factors that make an individual more susceptible to neck pain. Risk factors for neck pain include:

• Occupation – Neck pain is most common among office workers, healthcare workers, and manual laborers. But, more than the industry or title, the biggest work-related indicator of neck pain is workers who are stressed and unhappy at work, irrespective of the industry or occupation.
• Weight – Because of the added stress on the joints and skeletal system and proportionately less muscle strength, those who are overweight or obese are more likely to experience neck pain.
• Posture – There is a term for the poor posture so many of us spend so much time in: “text neck.” Poor posture is to blame for a myriad of neck and spine issues including neck pain. For every 15 degrees of forward bend in the neck, the strain on the cervical spine nearly doubles.
• Smoking – Smoking accelerate disc degeneration and cause pain in the neck, throughout the back, and in other joints.
• Stress – Stress has significant impact on the human body. Neck pain due to stress is not simply being tense. The physiological stress response also enlarges blood vessels in the muscles, restricts neck and shoulder movement, and heightens the perception of pain.

Lake St. Louis, MO Physical Therapy for Neck Pain

Getting quality and timely care and treatment for your neck pain are crucial, especially considering the complexity of the spine and the high rates of neck pain recurrence in Lake St. Louis, MO. Physical therapy is one of the most common forms of treatment for people experiencing neck pain. The efficacy of physical therapy is supported by extensive evidence. Though it is possible in some cases that additional treatments beyond physical therapy may be needed, physical therapy is a much safer choice than surgery or medication.

Physical therapy is an easily accessible, low-risk, non-invasive form of treatment that addresses the cause of your Lake St. Louis, MO neck pain. It offers neck pain patients a way to heal as safely and as thoroughly as possible. Lake St. Louis, MO physical therapy makes use of hands-on manual therapies, exercise, and education. A treatment plan using a combination of these strategies relieves stiffness and pain so that you may regain normal mobility and function. Additionally, Lake St. Louis, MO physical therapy can assist with developing strength and flexibility in the muscles related to the neck, shoulder, shoulder blade, and core, while at the same time implementing preventative measures that manage the risk of future pain or injury, like posture education and work-station adaptation.

With a personalized Lake St. Louis, MO physical therapy program informed by your individual neck condition and goals, you will soon be able to once again enjoy your usual mobility, flexibility, strength, and range of motion. At Axes Physical Therapy, the care we provide for your neck pain care near Lake St. Louis, MO will address the cause of your neck pain and your goals for managing the condition. Your dedicated Lake St. Louis, MO physical therapist may design your neck pain treatment plan to include some of the following strategies:

• Stretching –  stretches and exercises to improve the strength and range of motion of the muscles connected to the cervical spine
• Core, shoulder, and back strengthening – conditioning to strengthen muscles in the torso, shoulder, and scapular region that work together to support and provide stability to the cervical spine and upper extremities
• Aerobic activity – low impact cardiovascular exercise that increase body strength and blood flow
• Traction – creating space between the vertebrae decreases pressure and allows inflamed and irritated nerves and discs to heal
• Postural correction – improving posture by demonstrating and educating proper practices, supplementing with modification devices like lumbar support cushions when appropriate
• Joint mobilization and manipulation – a manual therapy in which your physical therapist gently moves specific joints in a way that mirrors normal joint and tissue movement to gradually restore typical joint function and range of motion
• Trigger point dry needling – directly targeting irritated or strained muscle tissue areas releases and relaxes the irritated tissue, making it possible for the muscle to regain its range of motion
• Massage – releasing tension through the massage and hands-on manipulation of soft tissues
• Therapeutic modalities – a supplement to other therapy methods – things such as ultrasound therapy and electrical stimulation
• Heat and ice – local application of heat and/or ice can reduce pain and swelling
• Ergonomic modifications and devices – to prevent complication and further neck pain, support devices can be used for sleeping, sitting, working at a desk, etc
• Posture correction – training and education on proper posture to reduce the amount of pressure and strain the neck is subjected to, helping to manage pain and prevent additional Lake St. Louis, MO neck pain issues

   

Neck Pain Symptoms

In order to understand the cause and extent of your neck pain and formulate the best treatment plan in Lake St. Louis, MO, your Axes Lake St. Louis, MO physical therapist will examine, observe, and evaluate your condition. Pain is an obvious symptom of neck pain. However, because the spine, including the cervical spine where the neck is housed, is so delightfully complex and versatile, neck pain can present in different ways throughout the body. The specific source of your neck pain may present various symptoms and you may experience certain types of pain.

Symptoms that can distinguish your neck pain are:

• Numbness or tingling of the arms or hands
• Weakness in the arms
• Headaches
• Pain that extends to the upper back, shoulders, arms, or hands
• Stiffness and mobility limitations
• Increased pain when sneezing, coughing, reaching, etc
• Comparatively limited range of motion
• Sleeping problems
• Pain that escalates during a specific part of the day, like in the morning or at night at bedtime

Your neck pain may be described with words such as:

• Sharp
• Stabbing
• Dull
• Aching
• Throbbing
• Tingling
• Radiating

When you meet with your Lake St. Louis, MO physical therapist, they will work to understand the cause of your neck pain by asking you specific questions. They may also assess factors including strength, flexibility, range of motion, posture, and functional ability through an examination. Our goal as your Lake St. Louis, MO neck pain physical therapist is to gain as complete a picture as possible of your neck pain before beginning your care so that we can deliver complete, safe, and effective treatment.

Care for your Neck Pain near Lake St. Louis, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

If you are like 75% of us out there, you have lived with neck pain and you are not alone. Axes is familiar with just how complicated and common neck pain is–a condition that affects many of us in Lake St. Louis, MO and throughout the United States and we are here to help. Axes Physical Therapy offers accessible, low-risk, evidence-based neck pain care near Lake St. Louis, MOby the hands of licensed physical therapists who have dedicated their careers to treating the spine. Our patient-centered approach, dedicated care, and highly qualified staff make significant, long-term neck pain relief in Lake St. Louis, MO possible.

It is time that you were able to live pain-free and with the freedom to do the activities you enjoy. We have established a network of locally owned and operated physical therapy treatment facilities that provide safe and personalized neck pain care in the Lake St. Louis, MO area location that is convenient for you. Discover the power that Axes’ physical therapy care can have on your neck pain by beginning your treatment right now. Reach us today or request an appointment now.