Relieving Neck Pain and Injury
There are many strategies to relieve neck pain and at Cross Bay Physical Therapy, we go by the strategy of strengthen, stretch, and straighten up.
You’d be very surprised to find out how much of people’s neck pain is caused by poor posture. The same happens with back pain. When reading, sitting on the couch or in bed, or looking at the computer, if someone is not aware of their posture, it causes the muscles to tighten and as a result, neck pain ensues. Also, when sleeping, having the wrong mattress or pillow, or sleeping in a poor position will cause neck pain.
Our Howard Beach physical therapists know the questions to ask and what to look for to find out how to use your posture to decrease neck pain and in many cases, a simple change in posture creates a huge relief.
Treatment at Cross Bay Physical Therapy always includes stretching and exercise. For accident and trauma related pain, physical therapy is a crucial part of recovering from a neck injury and therapeutic modalities such as ice, heat, and electrical stimulation fosters improvement as well.
Neck Stretches and Exercises
Here are a few exercises we apply that help our patients overcome neck pain and injury.
- Chin Tuck - This is one of the most effective postural exercises because it both strengthens the muscles that pull the head back and stretches the scalene and suboccipital muscles. Please only do this exercise under the direct supervision of one of our physical therapists. Stand against the wall with your back on the wall. Make sure the chin is down and then press the neck into the wall as you feel a stretch. Hold against the wall for 5 seconds and repeat this 10 times.
2. Foam Roller - A full length foam roller can be used to take out and reduce some of the trigger points that often accompany neck pain. First, place the foam roller on the ground and lie on it length wise. Place your hands on your hips and roll slowly sideways keeping the torso parallel to the floor. This rolls the foam roller over the scapular muscles. Again, only do this, especially for the first time, under the supervision of our physical therapists.
Cross Bay Physical Therapy has helped patients for over 30 years relieve pain and injuries and the reason our patients return is that our sole focus is on our patient’s satisfaction, caring for them until their pain ends as well as providing them the strength to prevent future injuries.
Schedule Your Evaluation Today!
Call 718-835-0084 and schedule your evaluation today!
By Benjamin Bieber