Neck pain is the pain in the neck due to the twists of muscles of the neck, and sometimes it can be due to the cervical. The neck area is the most sensitive area as there is a connection between so many nerves and the muscles of the body. You have to treat the neck very gently in every activity as if any injury happened to it; then you will have to suffer a lot with that pain. Physiotherapists deal with neck pain by suggesting exercises and massages to you.
With the exercise and massages, the cramps and injuries will heal by taking some time, but they will be healed permanently. Taking medicines and pain killers will treat you temporarily and gives your relief for some time; the pain can also take place after some time. Physiotherapists had done expertise in it. They use some tools and knowledge to heal it. But, we should also know the treatment of neck pain; let’s discuss it.
How does physical therapy help in treating neck pain?
- With physical therapy, you will get relief from the pain and stiffness of your neck.
- It improves the motion of the head and neck.
- It strengthens the muscles of the neck and supports musculature.
- Develop some strategies in the muscles of the neck to prevent the pain from taking place again.
If the neck pain will not be eliminated properly, practicing the therapy will improve the posture of the neck and provide it so much strength. These are some of the goals of the physiotherapists in physiotherapy downtown Ottawa.
At what time a person needs physical therapy?
Chronic pain
physical therapy is needed at the time of recurring the pain of old injures. This is because earlier, the injury was not treated properly, and the therapy will strengthen the muscles of the neck, and the pain will not occur again.
- At the time of injury
Physical therapy can help in reducing the pain of the neck as this therapy will heal the damages which take place in the soft tissues of the neck and joints. These damages can result in stiffness, and this can go on for even months. By the therapy, you can make the neck function the same as before.
- At the time of surgery
At the time of surgeries of the neck, physical therapy is a savior for you. As in the surgery, there will be a complete surgery of your neck in which there must be so much pain, and you will have to spend a big amount. But, physical therapy will save you from this, as by doing exercises, you can treat yourself, and it will be more convenient and will be a permanent solution for neck pain.
Treatment methods
There are two common treatment methods that are used the most for treating neck pain. Those are:
- Passive physical therapy
Passive therapy is the therapy in which there is no role of the patient while the treatment is going on. The patient has to just sit and get the treatment. Passive therapy includes applying ice packs, heat therapy, massage therapy, etc. The main goal of passive therapy is to reduce the pain and swelling of the patient.
- Active physical therapy
Active therapy is the therapy in which the patient has to play the main role, and the treatment is based totally on him. This is because this therapy involves exercises and stretches, which should be done by the patient on his/her own. Doing these will help the patient to strengthen the neck muscles and make them flexible, which will help n reducing the pain and maintain a good posture.
When to avoid physical therapy for neck pain
Sometimes, physical therapy is not recommended by the doctors due to the worse situations. If n the worse situations, physical therapy is performed by any of the patients, then it can increase the pain and make the situations worse for him/her. In the following situations, physical therapy is not recommended:
- Spinal instability
The problems or pains related to the cervical spine should not be dealt with the physical therapies, making the situations worse. Some other conditions like vertebral bone got fractured, compression in the spinal cord, etc. the physical therapy should not be done to prevent further injuries.
- Serious medical issues
Sometimes, the neck pain becomes the worst of all, and it will start infecting the body and results in infections and tumors; in these situations, you should not perform physical therapies. Taking an example of a cancerous tumor, it sometimes contributes some part to neck pain, and taking therapy at that time can increase cancer, and the situations will become bad for you.
In some other situations also, the therapy should not be performed like at the time of heavy pain, and a person is not able to tolerate it; at that time, it should not be performed as it can make the problem bigger.
Summary
To sum up, we can say that neck pain is a very serious injury as it is connected with so many other muscles and taking proper treatment of it will be beneficial for us. Some of the important points related to neck pain have been discussed above. You should be aware of the situations of not taking physical therapy and the treatment and causes of it.
