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Neck Pain

Tips for relieving neck pain

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Do you find yourself with a nagging neck or headache, especially after a long day or stressful event? The American Academy of Pain Medicine reports that neck pain and severe headaches or migraines make up about 30% of all commonly reported pain conditions. There are many reasons for neck pain, but the majority of episodes are caused by the following:

  • Poor posture
  • Weak shoulder and neck muscles
  • Stress
  • Injury
  • Arthritis

While many of us will take over the counter medication, such as Advil, to numb the pain, the main source of the problem is still present. This will cause repeating episodes that can become worse and worse with time. If you have to take medication more than 2-3 times a week for neck pain or headaches, then you need to do something about it.

Here are simple solutions to nagging neck pain or headache problems:

  • Increase your shoulder strength. Focus on increasing the strength in the muscles of the middle back. Typically the lower and middle trapezius muscles become weak, making the upper trapezius muscles overwork and become very tight.
  • Improve your posture. The center of gravity through your body actually starts at the upper part of your neck. If you sit slouched at a computer during the day or hunched over a desk, your neck muscles have to hold the weight of your head up for extended periods. Overtime, the muscles in the middle back become stretched out and weak, making the muscles of the neck overwork. This causes the neck muscles to become tight and irritated.
  • Improve your flexibility. Over 60% of the ability to turn your head comes from the upper neck. This is an area that becomes tight with poor posture, thus losing mobility and flexibility. Perform gentle stretching exercises throughout the day. Our physical therapy experts can show you the right exercises to help you.
  • Drink enough water. Many headaches are actually triggered by dehydration. Even though you may drink coffee, sodas or energy drinks, these types of drinks actually cause you to lose water throughout the day. Water is needed to keep your muscles well hydrated and your brain functioning normally. Keep a bottle of water within reach throughout the day and sip away.
  • Get professional help. If you find yourself with an aching neck or upper back on a frequent basis, you should seek the help of a physical therapist. Aches and pains are your body’s way of telling you of an underlying problem. Dealing with chronic neck pain can lead to chronic changes in your bones and muscles over time, making the problem much worse. Our medical experts examine your posture, alignment, stability, flexibility and strength to find the cause of your neck pain or headache. Our soothing physical therapy treatments then help quickly relieve your pain, restore your flexibility, posture and strength.

There is much that can be done to relieve your neck pain, headache or migraine. Physical therapy is the first line of natural treatment to a successful recovery. Discover how our back and neck program can give you the relief you deserve without the need for pills. Call us today to speak with one of our specialists about your pain.

Back Pain, Health and Wellness, Neck Pain

Tips for relieving pain from herniated discs

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Do you experience achy or sharp radiating pain to your shoulder, arm, buttock or leg? This may be an indicator of a bulging or herniated disc in the neck or back. Between each of the vertebrae that make up your spine are small cushions called discs.

Herniated discs are more common in the 30-50 age bracket. A herniated disc is when the material inside the disc pushes outwards, irritating the nerve exiting at that level. This can be on either side of the spine and depending on the nerve affected in the neck or back, can cause radiating pain, numbness and loss of sensation.

Most people are able to relieve their pain from a herniated disc using medications and physical therapy, with improvements seen in about four to six weeks. However, in cases where the pain is very severe, surgery may be used as a last resort treatment.

Here are common treatment options for relieving herniated disc pain:

1. Relieve inflammation
For mild herniated disc pain, relieve the inflammation to decrease pain. For instance, applying a heating pad or ice pack to the affected area may be a good way to temporarily relieve your pain and reduce inflammation. Take 10-15 minutes twice a day to lie on your stomach with one to two pillows under your hips. If the pain persists even after applying these remedies, it’s important to consult our physical therapists for a thorough evaluation.

2. Careful movements
It’s important to minimize the pressure on your herniated disc. Avoid wearing high heels, sleeping on your stomach and standing or sitting for long periods of time. Keep your back straight while lifting heavy objects, using knees and hips instead. Avoid repetitive bending or reaching. Also, keep focus on good posture with standing or sitting.

3. Exercise
There are special exercises and stretches, which help relieve the pain associated with a herniated disc. Our physical therapists can train you on performing these exercises properly to reduce the pressure on the disc and reduce pressure on the spine associated with poor mobility. As your spinal muscles become stronger, the pressure on the disc should lessen, causing the pain to ease.

4. Seeing a physical therapist
In most cases, seeing a physical therapist relieves the pain associated with a herniated disc and trains your body on prevention of back and neck pain in the future. It’s important to make sure that if you are seeing a physician for your disc problems, that they work in coordination with our physical therapists, so that you can achieve the fastest recovery possible.

5. Over-the-counter medications
When the pain from a herniated disc is only moderate, an over-the-counter (OTC) pain medication can help relieve inflammation and improve pain. Ibuprofen, acetaminophen and naproxen are a few of the most popular choices for OTC pain meds. Because these provide only temporary relief from pain, a doctor should be consulted before making this a part of your daily pain relief regimen.

7. Surgery
This option is reserved for only the most severe cases as most herniated discs can be successfully treated with physical therapy and conservative measures. Many herniated disc surgery options are minimally invasive and have high success rates, but the recovery process can be long. If surgery is needed, physical therapy is necessary to rehabilitate your spinal muscles and improve spinal joint function for a full recovery and prevention of further herniated discs, above or below the operated area.

There is much that can be done to relieve your back pain or neck pain from a herniated disc. Physical therapy is the first line of treatment to a successful recovery. Learn more about our back and neck program today by giving us a call and talking to one of our Patient Care Coordinators.

Back Pain, Neck Pain

Tips for avoiding back pain

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Is a sore back interfering with your life? You are not alone! Nearly four out of five people experience back pain at some point in their lifetime. Back pain takes various forms, from a persistent dull ache to sudden sharp pain, and has many causes. Sometimes it results from a sprain, fracture, or other accidental injury. It can stem from a disease or medical condition, such as herniated disc, arthritis, fibromyalgia, or spinal stenosis (a narrowing of the spinal canal through which the spinal cord runs). However, many people develop back pain because they’re overweight or sedentary.

Most lower back pain usually gets better within a few days or weeks, and surgery is rarely necessary. However, even small episodes of back pain are the result of weakness in the core muscles and usually lead to longer, more painful episodes in the future if you don’t take care of the underlying problem. Here are a few tips that are surprisingly effective at preventing back pain and keeping it from returning:

  1. Get more exercise. If your back is hurting, you may think the best way to get relief is to limit exercise and to rest. Studies show that frequent changes in position and regular physical activity can help ease inflammation and muscle tension faster in the back.
  2. Maintain a healthy weight. Extra pounds, especially in your midsection, can make back pain worse by shifting your center of gravity and putting strain on your lower back. Staying within 10 pounds of your ideal weight may help control back pain as well as all the other health benefits.
  3. Quit smoking. Nicotine in smoke, restricts the flow of nutrient-containing blood to spinal discs, so smokers are especially vulnerable to back pain.
  4. Sleeping position. If you’re prone to back pain, talk with our physical therapists about the best sleeping position. What is most important is to be in a comfortable position that you can sleep in to achieve the most rest. Sleeping on your side with your knees pulled up slightly toward your chest with a pillow between the knees is best during the first 15-30 minutes in bed. Prefer to sleep on your back? Put one pillow under your knees and another under your lower back. Try to avoid sleeping on your front.
  5. Improve your posture. Find a good chair to sit on. Avoid soft couches or chairs that put you in a slouched position. Find a chair that will allow you to keep your feet flat on the floor when you sit. With standing, try to alternate your positions and walk around if possible. Have one foot forward when standing and switch this every 10 minutes.
  6. Watch how you lift. Don’t bend over from the waist to lift heavy objects. Bend your knees and squat, pulling in your stomach muscles and holding the object close to your body as you stand up. Don’t twist your body while lifting. If you can, push rather than pull heavy objects.
  7. Use supportive shoes. A good pair of shoes, with cushion can reduce pressure on your back. Avoid using high heels as they shift your center of gravity and strain your lower back.
  8. Keep your wallet in your front pocket. Don’t put your wallet in the back pocket of your pants. Sitting on a wallet shifts your balance when sitting causing discomfort and back pain.
  9. Avoid heavy bags. If you use a briefcase or handbag, make sure you have only what you need to lighten the load. Use a bag that can strap over the opposite shoulder, so the weight is more evenly distributed. When carrying a heavy bag or case without straps, switch hands frequently to avoid putting all the stress on one side of the body.

There is a lot that you can do to prevent back pain and alleviate quickly when it starts. The important part is to work with your physical therapist to address the underlying cause of your back pain. This puts you on the right path to a healthy back that will support you pain free for a lifetime. To learn more about our back and neck program, helping you attain a strong, healthy back, contact us today!

Sports Injuries

Preventing and Treating Sports Injuries

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Exercise is an important part of life in order to become or stay healthy. For many people, sports are a fun way of burning extra calories, socializing and getting fit. Unfortunately, this also means the occasional sports injury, or a flare-up of an old injury or condition.

You don’t have to be a professional or even amateur athlete to suffer a sports injury. In fact, many times those most susceptible to sports injury are people who have just started exercising or do it on a recreational level; your typical weekend warrior. Sports injuries are typically seen as injuries to the musculoskeletal system, including muscles, bones, and tissues such as ligaments, tendons and cartilage.

The most common sports injuries include:

Sprains : A sprain occurs when the ligaments that join the ends of one bone with another are stretched or torn. Sprains are caused by trauma such as a fall or blow to the body that knocks a joint out of position. Ankles, knees and wrists are most vulnerable to sprains. However, back, neck and shoulder sprains are very common too.

Strains : A strain occurs when a muscle or tendon is pulled, torn or twisted. Strains can occur from overstretching during a forceful movement whilst playing. A common example of a strain is a muscle spasm. A back or neck strain is a very common injury treated in physical therapy.

Knee pain and injuries: According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the knee is the most commonly injured joint. Orthopedic surgeons see more than 5.5 million people annually for knee pain and injuries, which can include runner’s knee (pain or tenderness close to the knee cap at the front side of the knee), tendonitis and iliotibial band syndrome (pain on the outer side of the knee). Severe knee injuries often include bone bruises or damage to the cartilage or ligaments.

Shin splints : Shin splints occur when there is pain along the large bone in the front of the lower leg, known as the tibia or shin bone. Shin splints most commonly occur in runners, especially those who are just starting a running program. This is usually due to poor alignment of the body, or weakness in the leg muscles. The good news is that Magnolia Physical Therapy can treat many orthopedic and repetitive motion injuries without the need for invasive surgeries or addictive medications.

Prevention
Proper training, strengthening and stretching are the most important elements to preventing sports injuries. It’s important to work with professionals, trained in your sport and are dedicated to making sure you are properly conditioned before doing the sport. Our physical therapists have years of working with different sports injuries and helping to train individuals on how to prevent injuries.

Our licensed physical therapists can customize an exercise and sports injury prevention program that recognizes the weaknesses of your particular musculoskeletal system, allowing you to recover quickly and stay active. Even, if you have an old injury, it is important to have it evaluated by our physical therapists to prevent long term damage such as arthritis to your joints. If you have a new or old sports injury like tendonitis, arthritis, a stress fracture, or low back pain, our therapists can design a treatment program to promote wellness and minimize the chance of re-injury. Call us today to learn more!

Back Pain, Neck Pain

Muscle Stretching for Relieving Neck and Back Pain

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Many aches and pains in the neck and back stem from tight muscles. Stretching the tight muscles along the back of your neck, strengthening the muscles in the front of your neck and improving body posture in general, can help to release neck pain. Our experts in physical therapy can help you achieve all of this.

Improving your body posture can start by simply strengthening your abdominal muscles. These help to reduce a forward-head body posture and slumping shoulders that increase back pain and stress on the spine.

In addition to strengthening the abdominal region, strengthening of the pelvic muscles and lower back muscles bring stability to your spine. Furthermore, stretching the muscles of your chest and strengthening the muscles of the middle back can also help to quickly relieve neck pain by improving your posture.

Neck pain can sometimes be caused by tightness along one side of the neck, caused by holding a phone up to your ear or with looking at a screen off to one side. When the shoulder is elevated and the head is tilted, the result is a short upper trapezius (the muscle that extends from your shoulder to your neck) The upper trapezius lifts your shoulders to your ears. Special hands on physical therapy helps to gently stretch out the muscles, improving your motion and reducing your pain.

So before you start taking any medicine for chronic neck or back pain, you might want to analyze your body posture first and talk to your doctor about to physical therapy. Finding tension in your neck or limited range of motion in your spine might be the cause. By correcting it through proper physical therapy we provide you with a simple solution for your neck and back pain.

Try this stretch…

  • In a comfortable sitting position on the floor in a chair, sit tall
  • Gently lean your head to one side, until you feel a gentle stretch
  • Gently stretch your hand towards the floor
  • You should feel the stretch comfortably on the side of your neck
  • Hold the stretch for 15 seconds and repeat 3 times on each side multiple times a day

If you have any questions on performing this stretch correctly, please contact us, or your physician first. If you find yourself in pain, aching, injured or unable to move like you want to, simply give us a call. Our expert physical therapists provide a comprehensive evaluation to find the root cause of your problem, then put together a complete plan that works to get you moving, pain-free again.