Neck pain can be caused from many different conditions and experiences. Every physical action, whether sleeping, working out, or just turning our head too fast can put the neck in a bad position and leave you feeling stiff and sore. Physical therapy can help alleviate neck pain by relaxing and stretching the muscles. Physical therapy is noninvasive, hands-on manipulative therapy with little to no pain and downtime.
Benefits & Types of Physical Therapy
Whether you’re experiencing pain in your neck or feet or anywhere in between, a physical therapist can help relieve your pain and prevent it from coming back. A trained and licensed physical therapist can identify the cause of your pain, perform special therapies to alleviate symptoms while helping to strengthen and heal your body. Because each individual and injury are different, a physical therapist can create a personalized plan designed to help you quickly and effectively recover.
Many spinal pains, both from injuries and surgery, respond well to physical therapy treatments such as massage, stretching, or movement exercises. Hands-on physical therapy boosts healing because it increases blood flow to the injured area. This brings oxygen and nutrients to impaired and inflamed tissues, and relieves nerve pain.
Physical therapists also use what’s called “passive” types of physical therapy that helps the body heal and strengthen. The most common types of passive physical therapy are application of heat or cold packs, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), and ultrasound.
What You Can Expect from Physical Therapy
Based on the severity of your injury or condition, as well as what is recommended by your doctor, you may visit your physical therapist for multiple sessions a week to help alleviate your pain and prevent your injury from getting worse. While there’s no exact timetable as to when you’ll be able to continue with your daily life as before, over time you’ll see your physical therapist less and less every month.
Your physical therapist will likely provide you with activities or exercises that can help your healing process at home as well as movements you should avoid. This might include instructions for improving your posture, ergonomics, stretching, as well as exercises to help fortify supporting muscles. These exercises are crucial to your recovery, as it can alleviate pain and pressure from your injury, as well as boost your overall health.
Even after the initial period of healing, you’ll visit with your physical therapist occasionally for follow-ups, so he or she can monitor your progress and recovery and make adjustments as necessary.
If you’re experiencing pain in your neck, no matter what the cause, the team at Suburban Physical Therapy can help get you back on the road to pain relief. We are independently owned centers and our expert team of therapists offer one-on-one physical therapy to help you heal, quickly and comfortably. Schedule your appointment today at our offices in Brecksville (440) 746-1730 or Twinsburg (330) 963-2920 in Ohio.
