Things You Need to Know about Neck Pain

Neck pain or stiffness can affect your life in so many different ways.  Whether it be sharp pain, dull muscular aches, headaches, or an inability to fully move your head, neck pain can be very frustrating yet it's simple to fix in the majority of cases.

Neck Pain Causes?

Commonly we find that neck (cervical spine) joints become stiff or locked much like a rusty hinge. This in turn usually causes protective muscle spasm of some neck and shoulder muscles and weakness of others. The longer this abnormal scenario exists, the harder it is to reverse the habit. Your posture alters, which strains adjacent joints and muscles, and the condition cyclically deteriorates. Ultimately you end up with a sore neck.

The interesting thing about necks is that one stiff neck joint or one weak or tight muscle can have a dramatic effect if not fixed quickly. We often see patients who have unsuccessfully tried various neck treatment techniques. What we normally find it that it is a combination of neck joint, muscle stretching, massage, acupuncture, neural tissue, strength exercise and postural techniques that are required to reverse some well established poor habits.

How Does Neck Pain Progress?

The human body is incredibly talented and will adjust itself so that other joints or muscles move further or work harder than they should. While this is usually okay on the short term it's devastating in the long term for neck pain.

Unfortunately the result is often chronic neck pain, neck stiffness, headaches, wry neck or even tension type migraine.

Luckily, there is a very quick, extremely safe and long-term solution. 

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Common Neck Pain Conditions

Acute Wry Neck

Bulging Disc

Degenerative Disc Disease

Facet Joint Pain

Fibromyalgia

Muscle Pain: Strains or Tears

Neck Headache

Pinched Nerve

RSI - Repetitive Strain Injury

Spondylosis (Spine Arthritis)

What Causes Headaches?

Researchers have found that 1 in 4 headaches originate from the neck joints and muscles. These headaches are known as cervicogenic headaches and can be effectively diagnosed and treated by your physiotherapist.

More Information about Headaches and Migraines

What about Arthritis in your Neck?

Neck joints can prematurely become arthritic through neglect.  The good news is that you can do something about slowing down the deterioration even if neck arthritis is already present on X-ray. 

The 3 Main Reasons Why You Develop Neck Arthritis

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More information about Arthritis

Does Glucosamine Actually Help Arthritis?

Yes!  Finally, a new natural product known as glucosamine has been found to effectively reduce your arthritic pain and it actually appears to slow the disease progression. The great news is that is has virtually no side effects other than for people with shellfish allergies.  
More information about Glucosamine.

Pillows for Neck Pain?

The correct pillow is also vital. If you are waking through the night or in the morning with a stiff or painful neck it may be that it's actually your pillow and not your neck that is the cause.

More information about Pillows for Neck Pain

When Should You Use a Neck Collar?

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Does a Posture Brace Help Neck Pain?

Posture support braces have improved over the years with new designs being very effective in building awareness of what the correct posture actually is. This is great for teenagers, the elderly or those using computers. There are various posture braces available. You can find more information about posture braces via our online shop.

Neck Pain Relief Products

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Stiff Neck? Neck Pain? Maybe it's Your Facet Joint. How to Fix Quickly.

What is Facet Joint Pain? Facet joint pain is also commonly referred to as facet joint syndrome,facet joint disease, facet joint sprain but essentially it is the pain caused by a facet joint injury. Your facet joints (also known as zygapophyseal, apophyseal, or Z-joint) are synovial joints between the vertebrae of your spine. There are two facet joints (left and right) in each spinal motion segment. Biomechanically, the function of each pair of facet joints is to guide and limit movement of that spinal motion segment. Each section of your spine has facet joints. You may hear them referred to as your cervical facet joints (neck), thoracic facet joints (mid back) and lumbar facet joints (low back). Facet joint pain is one of the most common causes of neck pain, back pain and thoracic spine pain. Read full article by John Miller http://bit.ly/198lzzL What Causes Facet Joint Pain? Facet joint motion can be disturbed by injury. Joint motion can stiffen - known as hypomobility.  Or, joint motion can become excessive - known as hypermobility. What Causes Facet Joint Hypomobility? Facet joint hypomobility can be caused by: Read full article: http://bit.ly/198lzzL What Causes Facet Joint Hypermobility? Read full article: http://bit.ly/198lzzL What Causes a Locked Facet Joint? Simple movements such as a mild twist, awkward movement or just doing something your body didn't expect (such as tripping) can lock a facet joint. In most cases this is due to your facet joints motion exceeding your muscle control. If you have previously suffered injury or you have local muscle weakness supporting your facet joints than it is even easier to repeated lock a facet joint. What are the Symptoms of a Locked Facet Joint? Pain is one of the first symptoms a patient will notice with a facet joint injury. A neck facet joint will cause neck pain and potentially... Read full article: http://bit.ly/198lzzL How is a Facet Joint Injury Diagnosed? The most accurate diagnosis of a facet joint injury is via a hands on examination from a physiotherapist who specialises in spinal physiotherapy. Using their professional skills they will confirm the specific facet joint problem and whether it is locked, stiff or unstable. Xrays, MRI’s and CT scan are useful to identify arthritic changes and fractures but are unable to detect a locked facet joint. Facet Joint Syndrome Treatment The treatment for a locked facet joint is relatively simple. Your physiotherapist will ... Read full article: http://bit.ly/198lzzL Unstable Facet Joint Treatment Unstable or hypermobile facet joints need to be treated entirely differently to a locked facet joint. The fact that ... Read full article: http://bit.ly/198lzzL Please check with your physiotherapist or doctor for their professional opinion. Contact PhysioWorks or Book Online What Results Can You Expect? Physiotherapy will provide the majority of facet joint pain patients with complete relief. (Hu et al 2006). Locked facet joints will normally start improving immediately post-unlocking. How they progress beyond that depend on what other concomitant factors are present. How long the joint has been locked? What caused the locking? What adjacent joint motion is available? Based on your physiotherapists examination, they will be able to provide you with more accurate guidelines. Facet joint instability will take longer to rehabilitate since they require time and practice for your muscle strengthening to occur. Once again, please check with your treating physiotherapist for their professional opinion and treatment plan. Other Treatment Options Massage Massage can be an excellent form of muscle spasm relief to allow your facet joint spasm to release. Acupuncture Localised acupuncture or dry needling techniques can provide localised muscle spasm and facet pain relief. Ask your physiotherapist for more advice. Facet Joint Injections Facet joint injections are sometimes used to confirm a diagnosis and provide short-term (a week or two) relief. Researchers have found that facet joint injections are less effective than patients who exercise in the long-term. (Mayer et al 2004) Radiofrequency Radiofrequency is sometimes used in chronic cases which do not respond to physiotherapy treatment. Radiofrequency cauterizes the nerve, providing pain relief for a period of time. The downside is that the pain normally returns when the nerve regrows within a few months. Summary Every case of facet joint pain is different. Please check with your physiotherapist for their professional opinion on what treatment plan is best for you. Contact PhysioWorks or Book Online Common Treatments for Facet Joint Injury Read full article: http://bit.ly/198lzzL Contact PhysioWorks or Book Online FAQ's about Facet Joint Pain Read full article: http://bit.ly/198lzzL   Contact PhysioWorks or Book Online Helpful Products for Facet Joint Pain Related Injuries Acute Wry Neck Back Muscle Pain BPPV - Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo Bulging Disc Core Stability Deficiency Degenerative Disc Disease Facet Joint Pain Fibromyalgia Muscle Pain: Strains or Tears Neck Headache Pinched Nerve Pregnancy Back Pain Sacroiliac Joint - SIJ Pain Scheuermann's Disease Sciatica Side Strain (Abdominal) Spinal Stenosis Spondylolisthesis Spondylolysis (Back Stress Fracture) Spondylosis (Spine Arthritis) Stress Fracture Tennis Elbow TMJ Dysfunction (TMD) - Jaw Pain or Clicking

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Wry Neck... What is it? What are the Types? What's the Treatment?

Acute wry neck is a complaint where you develop neck pain and stiffness, which is often accompanied by spasm of the surrounding neck muscles. This causes neck pain and an inability to turn your neck through its full range of motion. Acute wry neck is an extremely common condition, which can be quite disabling as the sufferer experiences constant severe pain with simple neck movements. Luckily the solution is normally very quick! What Causes Acute Wry Neck? Acute wry neck can have several causes. However, it is the thought that the pain and reduction in range of motion results mainly from two mechanisms.  Either Facet Wry Neck caused by a locked facet joint or Discogenic Wry Neck caused by a cervical disc injury. What is Facet Wry Neck? The most common cause of acute wry neck is a locked facet joint. Facet joints are located at the back of your spinal column. These facet joints allow, guide and limit the movements of your neck. Your facet joints are intended to allow smooth gliding movements between the adjacent vertebra. Occasionally your facet joints can become either stiff through traumatic injury or arthritis or simply get stuck at at extreme of movement.  A common reported history for the wry neck patient is to wake with a stiff and painful neck.  Onset of the wry neck is usually sudden. The cause may have included a restless night sleep, uncomfortable pillow, waking suddenly in the night (eg a noise) or simply unknown. Let's face it, who knows what we exactly get up to in our sleep!  Wry neck pain is due to the numerous nerve endings that are located in the facet joint itself and in the tissues adjacent to the facet joint. Facet wry neck is most common in younger populations, ranging from young children to people in their thirties. Older facet wry neck sufferers tend to have a more gradual onset with the facet joints becoming "rusty" over time. Signs and Symptoms of Facet Wry Neck Pain – generally located in the middle or side of the neck that is affected. The onset of pain is sudden. The pain experienced does not extend beyond the shoulder joint. Loss of Movement – your neck is generally fixed in an abnormal position – most commonly flexed forward and rotated away from the side of pain. All movements aggravate the pain, as the joint is fixed and movement triggers irritation to the joint and thus pain. Muscle Spasm – this is a tightening of the associated neck muscles that further limit movement. Acute Wry Neck Treatment After your physiotherapist assessed your neck and confirms which joint or joints are locked, they will utilise a range of low risk joint treatment techniques and soft tissue massage to normalise your facet joint function.  While the joint can almost always be immediately unlocked, you will have some residual muscle spasm and swelling in the region due to the trauma. Think how a sprained ankle swells! Neck joints will also swell, but it won't be  as visible. How Long is Recovery? Most acute wry necks can be unlocked immediately. However the residual effects may last for up to one week. It is also important to normalise your neck muscle and joint function (eg strength and motion) to prevent a regular recurrence, which unfortunately commonly occurs if your neck injury is poorly rehabilitated. Facet Wry Neck Treatment Aims  Confirm your diagnosis Unlock your locked facet joint: facet joint techniques Normalise joint range of motion: joint techniques Relax muscle spasm: massage, gentle stretches, acupuncture or dry needling Normalise your muscle length-tension ratio: massage, stretches and home exercises Check and normalise your deep neck and superficial muscle strength Ensure normal cervical posture and function. If need more specific advice, please consult your physiotherapist who has a special interest in acute wry neck rehabilitation. Contact Physio Works or Book Online What is Discogenic Wry Neck?  Acute wry neck may also caused by a injury to your intervertebral disc. This is known as Discogenic Wry Neck. Usually the injured disc protrudes posteriorly and presses against surrounding structures and nerves. Signs and Symptoms of Discogenic Wry Neck Sufferers generally experience a gradual onset of dull, diffuse pain. Pain is usually felt in the lower neck, shoulder or upper chest. Pain may radiate down into the arms. Your neck is fixed and difficult to move. You will usually be holding your head and neck away from the painful side because of pain. However, this movement is only limited by pain, not mechanically blocked as in the facet wry neck. Muscle Spasm Occasionally, you'll experience pins and needles, numbness or weakness in your arms or legs. If this is the cases, seek prompt medical assessment. Physiotherapy Treatment for Discogenic Wry Neck? In most cases, Discogenic Wry Neck is successfully managed with a steadily progressed physiotherapy intervention. Discogenic wry neck does not normally respond as quickly as facet wry neck treatment.  This is due to the more severe injury that involves the intervertebral disc. While the time period does vary, it is not uncommon for a discogenic wry neck to take up to six weeks to rehabilitate successfully.  In severe cases, spinal surgery is required.  Physiotherapy is important for the short and  long-term management of your neck pain and restoration of its full function. This includes, full neck range of movement and the stabilisation and strengthening of your neck to protect your injured disc for the remainder of your life. You'll find that a physiotherapist's assessment and treatment will reduce your likelihood of a recurrence. Discogenic Wry Neck Treatment Aims  Confirm your diagnosis Reduce intradiscal pressure and pain: disc deloading techniques Normalise joint range of motion: joint techniques Relax muscle spasm: massage, gentle stretches, acupuncture or dry needling Normalise your muscle length-tension ratio: massage, stretches and home exercises Normalise your deep neck and superficial muscle strength Ensure normal scapular stabilisation control to reduce neck intradiscal pressure Ensure normal cervical posture and function. If need more specific advice, please consult your physiotherapist who has a special interest in acute wry neck rehabilitation. Contact Physio Works or Book Online What Can You Do Until You See a Physiotherapist? At PhysioWorks, we understand that acute wry neck can be particularly disabling. Ideally, we recommend immediate treatment for the best and quickest result. If you suspect acute wry neck, please call one of our clinics and inform them that you suspect you have acute wry neck. They’ll do their best to fast track your appointment. Until your appointment, you may find relief from the application of ice or heat to the neck and surrounding muscles. If you are able to consult with your doctor, they may prescribe muscle relaxants or other medication to assist your symptoms. A neck brace or soft collar may also assist until you can seek professional advice and treatment. Contact Physio Works or Book Online Common Wry Neck Treatments Immediate Injury Treatment What to do after a Muscle Strain or Ligament Sprain Acupuncture and Dry Needling What is Sub-Acute Soft Tissue Injury Treatment? Scapular Stabilisation Exercises Biomechanical Analysis Proprioception & Balance Exercises Medications? Soft Tissue Massage Deep Neck Stabilisation Exercises Electrotherapy & Local Modalities Heating Pads Joint Pain Relief Techniques Kinesiology Taping Neurodynamics / Neuro Mobilisation Physiotherapy Instrument Mobilisation (PIM) Prehabilitation Strengthening Exercises Stretching Exercises Support Brace TENS Machines Contact PhysioWorks or Book Online FAQs about Acute Wry Neck What is Pain? Physiotherapy & Exercise When Should Diagnostic Tests Be Performed? What are the Different Massage Styles and their Benefits? How Does Kinesiology Tape Reduce Swelling? Are You Suffering Cluster Headaches? - Quick Test Are You Suffering Migraine? - Quick Test Are You Suffering Tension-Type Headaches? - Quick Test How Much Treatment Will You Need? How to Stretch? Is Your Headache From Your Neck? Quick Test What are the Benefits of Good Posture? What are the Common Adolescent Spinal Injuries? What are the Common Massage Therapy Techniques? What are the Early Warning Signs of an Injury? What are the Healthiest Sleeping Postures? What are the Signs of an Unsupportive Pillow? What Can You Do To Help Arthritis? What Causes Headache or Migraine? What is Sports Physiotherapy? What is the Correct Posture Standing? What is the Correct Way to Sit? What Pillow Do Physiotherapists Recommend? What Should You Do When You Suffer a Headache or Migraine? When Can You Return to Sport or Work? Why Does Heat Feel So Good? Contact Physio Works or Book Online Helpful Products for Wry Neck Related Injuries Acute Wry Neck BPPV - Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo Bulging Disc Facet Joint Syndrome Muscle Pain: Strains or Tears Neck Headache - Cervicogenic Headache Pinched Nerve Spinal Stenosis Spondylosis (Spine Arthritis) TMJ Dysfunction (TMD) - Jaw Pain or Clicking

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