Along with back pain, neck pain is one of the most common conditions we see in our clinic. Working long hours bent over a computer, driving long distances, poor posture while standing or sitting, stress and tiredness are all factors that can cause the muscles in the neck and upper back to become tight and the joints to become stiff which can contribute to ongoing neck pain. The tight muscles and stiff joints mentioned above can also be a major contributing factor to certain types of headaches like tension and cervico-genic headaches. (Headaches originating from the neck.)
Sometimes a nerve in your neck can become irritated or “trapped” causing pain in the arm going down into your shoulder or hand. There may also be pins and needles and numbness..
Osteoarthritis or age-related wear and tear in the neck can also cause muscular pain as well as some stiffness on movement.
How Can an Osteopath Help?
- Osteopaths can use a wide range of gentle manipulations and massage techniques depending on your age, fitness and diagnosis to reduce muscular tension in the neck and improve movement in the joints of the neck and upper back.
- Treatment is different in every individual and sometimes it might involve treating other areas in the back and shoulders as well as the neck.
- We may offer advice on your posture at work or in the car and give advice on exercise and stretching to help keep your neck and upper back muscles and joints relaxed and moving well.
- X-rays, scans and other tests are sometimes required to make a diagnosis and your osteopath may refer to your GP or a specialist for any additional investigations or treatment
