We at Rebalance Physical Therapy know that neck pain is a nuisance and can keep you from hitting your goals. The question then is “what can be done?” The short, but not so simple answer, is “a lot”! There can be several different reasons for neck pain. This article will focus on muscle spasms or strains.

What Is happening?

When a muscle is strained and left on its own in the healing process, the muscle can sometimes heal in a “new normal” state. After a couple of weeks where inflammation has subsided, the brain no longer is signaled that there is a need for more blood flow to that area. The problem with this “new normal” is that the muscle’s ability to shorten and lengthen effectively in various ranges of motion is now limited.

Who gets neck pain?

Anyone. Active individuals in the gym, individuals with desk jobs, moms, dads, athletes, grandparents. And anyone in between. Neck pain is extremely common and can happen to anyone.

Struggle in the gym?

Neck pain can keep you out of the gym because now arm or back day started to make your neck pain worse, and you have no idea why. This is because the musculature of the neck and back are connected. I’ll use the most common example of the trapezius, but this is only one. This muscle, pictured below and highlighted in blue, is much larger than people realize as its topmost fibers attach at the base of the skull, and its lowest fibers attach to the last vertebra of your thoracic spine (so the very top of your low back). You can see how an upper body or back day can affect the neck because of where it runs. And this is just the topmost layer of muscle that attaches to the neck. So now you are out of the gym because everything seems to irritate your neck and now you don’t have your outlet of stress relief, which is not ideal.

Struggle at your desk job?

To make matters even worse, sitting at work on your computer is also killing you. And that is because of what is called forward head posture. This is demonstrated a lot by those working in desk jobs or having to continually look down at your phone. Take a second as you are reading to notice how your head is positioned. A quick test is to ask yourself, “where are my ears in relation to my shoulders”? If they are more forward like the top picture, you are in a forward head position. A forward head posture puts the muscles in the back of your neck in a more lengthened position and the muscles at the front of the neck in a more shortened position. So, you had pain from that pulled muscle in your neck and now you have been sustaining this forward neck posture all day at work. You can see how your “new normal” is fighting an uphill battle. If nothing is addressed, you will find yourself in a continual loop of reoccurring and nagging neck pain.

How to get relief?

This sounds very bleak and miserable. We know. Here are three ways to get relief.

First, we need to signal your brain to get new blood to the area to get things under control. Blood flow will improve …

pain and muscle flexibility/length, which will lead to improved strength and stability, and then to your end goal of improved overall performance.

This at Rebalance looks like dry needling and more manual techniques.

Second, we need to address muscle imbalances and poor posture.

Third, it needs to be a comprehensive treatment plan tailored specifically to YOU!

It needs to be tailored to you because what good is it if you are doing the same exercises as “Joe” over there if you guys have different goals.

• You want to get back to the gym and overhead press? That’s what we work on.

• You need to lift your 35lb child and carry them without pain? That’s what we are working on.

• You have pain and limited range of motion with looking behind you while driving? That’s what we focus on.

Conclusion

From personal experience, do not leave your neck pain to fester. The longer the time between initial injury and beginning of treatment, the longer the recovery process to fit all the pieces together. Think of a chain link fence. If you have one area that is weak, it will begin to rely on all the surrounding areas for assistance. The body is good at compensating, however, at a certain point it will get tired of this, and the pain will begin to spread from your neck to your arms, back, and head.

Take the guess work out and find someone who is going to do a thorough history and examination of your range of motion, strength, stability, muscle tension and length, postural position, and muscular endurance, and then give you a plan on how to get there.

Keep your eye out for more content about neck related injuries. Rebalance Physical Therapy is located in Greenville, SC. If you would like assistance finding a PT near you, let us know and we will help you!

Tired of neck pain running your life? Schedule your initial evaluation today!