Are you suffering with neck pain that’s now going away?
The neck is second only to the lower back as the most frequent location of the pain. According to research, every year, between 30% and 50% of the population will suffer neck pain. While neck pain is more common in middle-aged women and those who suffer lower back pain, it can affect anyone of any age, weight, fitness level, or occupation.
Suffering with neck pain may arise from several anatomical structures, including bones, intervertebral discs, joints, ligaments, muscles, nerves and blood vessels.
Many studies have found that “abnormalities” or “degenerative changes” found on X-rays, such as joint and disc irregularities, are not associated with neck pain because they are often found in people with no neck pain, particularly over forty. Most neck pain is related to spinal dysfunction, diagnosed clinically.
Nerve compression, referring to pain down the arm, can be associated with neck problems. Headaches that originate from the neck are widespread, and a high proportion of people with neck problems experience jaw (TMJ) and face paint.
Symptoms of neck problems include:
grinding, clicking or clunking sounds when moving your neck pain in your head, face, neck, upper back, shoulder blade (scapular), shoulder, arm or hand numbness or tingling in your entire arm or hand weakness, heaviness or lack of coordination in your neck, shoulder or visual arm disturbances, e.g. blurred or double vision (diplopia)ringing in your ears (tinnitus)
dizziness (vertigo)And” foggy” or “clouded head” disturbed concentration and short-term memory loss.
Neck conditions that respond well to osteopathic treatment include:
1. muscle or ligament strain – “pulled muscle.”
2. tendinopathy – a widespread cause of pain anywhere in the neck
3. cervical spinal joint dysfunction – “joint’s gone out.”
4. nerve root compression – “pinched nerve” in the neck with pain shooting to the shoulder, arm or hand
5. whiplash – neck pain and headaches as a result of neck injury
6. arthritis – “bone on bone.”
Osteopathic treatment may relieve acute and chronic neck pain, stiffness and other symptoms and restore function by:
- improving range of motion
- reducing fibrosis and adhesions
- remodelling tissue architecture
- stimulating tissue regeneration
- improving blood flow and nerve activity
Long-term resolution can be achieved by identifying and managing underlying causative and maintaining factors.
