Neck Pain Maryland Heights, MO

Neck Pain Maryland Heights, MO. It is painful, greatly limiting, and it affects your ability to move in ways that you typically have no problem with. If you are like 75 percent majority, neck pain has affected you at one time or another. While a metaphorical “pain in the neck” may just be a minor nuisance that you can successfully ignore, real neck pain is often complicated and serious. It is a pervasive problem that, when not promtly and properly cared for, can result in immense pain and limitations. Ranking as the number four cause of disability, neck pain makes up a significant part of the 88 billion dollars in annual healthcare costs for neck and back pain in the US.

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 right away. As the top Maryland Heights, MO physical therapy and occupational therapy facility, we can provide you with the individualized and evidence-based Maryland Heights, MO neck pain treatment you need to manage your pain and allow you to return to what you love. To begin receiving the quality Maryland Heights, MO neck pain care you deserve, contact us today.

Maryland Heights, MO Neck Pain: Causes and Risk Factors

It is a fact that the large majority of us suffer from neck pain at least once during our lifetime. The intricate and beautifully complex cervical spine is a vital system that serves to protect our vital nervous system, offer support to our head, and allow 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 susceptible to pain and impairment that can be caused by overuse, injury and trauma, illnesses, and other conditions.

Common Maryland Heights, MO Neck Pain Causes

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

  

• Pinched nerve
• Surgery

At some point in our lives, an estimated 75% of us will suffer from some type of neck pain. Fortunately for most of us, neck pain is often manageable and will usually resolve itself without the need for invasive treatment. However, many other Maryland Heights, MO neck pain patients need tailored care. Up to 85% of people who have neck pain experience at least one more recurrence of their pain in a five-year period and 37% of neck pain patients develop chronic neck pain that endures more than one year.

As such a common issue, it is clear that neck pain can happen to anyone in Maryland Heights, MO. However, there are certain risk factors that make an individual more susceptible to neck pain. Some of these factors are:

• Occupation – The professions that most frequently experience neck pain are 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, regardless of the industry or occupation.
• Weight – With comparatively less muscle strength and more stress on the joints and skeletal system, those who are overweight or obese are more likely to experience neck pain.
• Posture – It’s such a common problem in today’s time that we have a colloquial term for it: “text neck.” Poor posture is a major contributor to 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 – It is well-known that stress is hard on the body. Neck pain due to stress is more than merely carrying tension. Stress is a physiological response that enlarges blood vessels in the muscles, restricts neck and shoulder movement, and heightens the perception of pain.

Maryland Heights, MO Physical Therapy for Neck Pain

Due to the complex nature of the spine and the high rate of recurring neck pain in Maryland Heights, MO, proper care and treatment after experiencing neck pain are essential. Physical therapy is one of the most common forms of treatment for people experiencing neck pain. It has been found to be highly effective in treating neck pain. Though it is possible in some cases that additional treatments beyond physical therapy may be required, physical therapy is an excellent first line of defense.

Physical therapy is an easily accessible, low-risk, non-invasive form of treatment that addresses the cause of your Maryland Heights, MO neck pain. It offers neck pain patients a way to heal as safely and as thoroughly as possible. Maryland Heights, MO physical therapy makes use of hands-on manual therapies, exercise, and education. A treatment plan using a combination of these strategies helps you experience life without pain and regain complete range of motion. Maryland Heights, MO physical therapy patients can also benefit by stretching and strengthening muscles affecting the neck, shoulder, shoulder blade, and core, all while introducing preventative adjustments to avoid the risk of future pain or injury, such as posture education and changes to the work-station.

With a quality Maryland Heights, MO physical therapy program informed by your individual neck condition and goals, you can soon enjoy restored mobility, flexibility, strength, and range of motion. At Axes Physical Therapy, the care we provide for your neck pain care near Maryland Heights, MO will be tailored to the cause of your neck pain and your priorities for recovery. Your designated Maryland Heights, MO physical therapist may design your neck pain treatment plan to include some of the following strategies:

• Stretching –  stretching and exercising to improve the strength and range of motion of the muscles connected to the cervical spine
• Core, shoulder, and back strengthening – conditioning to improve the strength of muscles that support and stabilize the cervical spine and upper body, including those in the torso, shoulders, and scapular regions
• Aerobic activity – low impact cardiovascular exercise that increase body strength and blood flow
• Traction – creating space between the vertebrae reduces pressure and gives irritated and inflamed nerves and discs an opportunity to heal
• Postural correction – training and demonstration to develop better posture, supplementing with modification devices like lumbar support cushions when appropriate
• Joint mobilization and manipulation – a manual therapy in which your physical therapist gently moves the joint 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 inflamed or tight 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 ice and/or heat can manage swelling and pain
• Ergonomic modifications and devices – medical support devices and modifications to relieve neck pain and relieve aggrivating issues from 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 avoid ongoing Maryland Heights, MO neck pain issues

   

Symptoms of Neck Pain

To truly understand the nature of your neck pain and design the most appropriate treatment plan in Maryland Heights, MO, your Axes Maryland Heights, MO physical therapist will examine, observe, and evaluate your condition. Pain, of course, is the primary 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 different symptoms and present certain types of pain.

Symptoms that can help diagnose the cause of your neck pain are:

• Numbness or tingling in the arms or hands
• Weakness in the arms
• Headaches
• Pain in the upper back, shoulders, arms, or hands
• Stiffness and mobility limitations
• Increased pain when sneezing, coughing, reaching, etc
• Reduced range of motion
• Difficulty sleeping
• Symptoms of pain that occur during a specific time 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 Maryland Heights, 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 Maryland Heights, MO neck pain physical therapist is to understand the entirety of your neck pain prior to beginning your care to be sure that we deliver complete, safe, and effective treatment.

Care for your Neck Pain near Maryland Heights, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

If you suffer from persistent or recurring neck pain, you are not alone. Axes is familiar with just how complicated and common neck pain is–a condition that affects many of us in Maryland Heights, MO and throughout the United States. We have what it takes to restore you to optimal health. Axes Physical Therapy offers convenient, safe, effective neck pain care near Maryland Heights, MOby the hands of licensed physical therapists who specialize in the spine. The patient-centered philosophy, individualized care, and extremely talented and qualified staff found in our facilities make it possible for you to find meaningful, lasting relief from your neck pain near Maryland Heights, MO.

It is time for you to know the pain-free life you deserve–the one that allows you to do all the things you love without limitations. Our family of twelve locally owned and operated physical therapy facilities provide neck pain care of unrivaled quality in the Maryland Heights, MO area location that is convenient for you. Experience the effect of Axes’ quality physical therapy treatment on your neck pain by beginning your treatment promptly. Contact us today or request an appointment now.