Neck pain can affect many of your everyday activities, and chronic pain in the neck can be debilitating. Anything from a strained muscle to a pinched nerve can cause pain in your neck. That pain can be a slight twinge or become so severe you may struggle to even turn your head. Thankfully, there are many different treatment options for chronic neck pain.
4 physical therapy treatments for neck pain
Physical therapists are well versed in a number of tools and treatments that can help get rid of your neck pain. Here are some of the most common ones:
- Manual therapy — Manual therapy is a common physical therapy technique for dealing with neck pain. With this method, your physical therapist can use hands-on techniques to gently stretch and strengthen the affected muscles in your neck. This is a gentle, noninvasive treatment that can increase flexibility and reduce pain levels in your neck.
- The McKenzie Method® — The McKenzie Method focuses on conditions that can cause neck and back pain. Your physical therapist will evaluate your body’s pain response to different activities and movements. Then, they’ll show you targeted exercises that can directly affect your areas of pain. The goal of these exercises is to help you stretch and strengthen the affected muscles in your neck.
- Massage therapy — Some types of massage can be beneficial for neck and back pain. Massages can target trigger points or tissue in the neck that may be causing pain. Working those tense areas through massage can help your muscles relax, which may decrease your neck pain.
- Spinal adjustments — For people with spinal issues, spinal adjustments may help alleviate pain in the neck. A spinal adjustment can address subluxations in the spine and misalignments that may be contributing to the pain in your neck.
Your physical therapist can evaluate your neck pain and develop a unique treatment plan to directly address your symptoms. Neck pain doesn’t have to limit your activities or control your life.
At REPAIR SI, our team can implement a variety of tools and treatments to target your neck pain and get you back to doing what you love. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.