Looking For Neck Pain Relief in?
Elite Physical Therapy Provides A safe, effective way to relieve neck pain!
Because your neck plays an important role in everyday activities, neck pain can interfere with your daily tasks. Dealing with neck pain on your own, especially when you do not know the source of it, can be challenging. At Elite Physical Therapy, our physical therapists will identify the source of your neck condition and assist you in regaining normal pain-free function.
If you are looking for neck pain relief near Conway and Perryville, AR, know that our physical therapy clinics are dedicated to helping you find long-lasting results with research-backed treatments. Request an appointment with Elite Physical Therapy today to get started on the path toward recovery!
Request an Appointment
Why does my neck hurt?
Neck pain is most commonly caused by tissue and bone injuries; however, certain degenerative disorders can also cause neck pain.
Other common causes of neck pain that a licensed physical therapist in Elite Physical Therapy in Conway and Perryville, AR can treat are:
Poor posture and prolonged positions
Our spines are designed to move. One of the most common causes of neck pain is poor posture/prolonged positions. Our modern society is far more sedentary than past generations, and the incidence of neck and upper back pain continues to grow, especially while working on a computer.
Neck pain caused by poor posture is commonly associated with prolonged activities like sitting and lying with your head in an awkward position. Something as simple as sitting at your desk all day with your neck craned toward the computer screen can cause your neck muscles to become strained by overuse.
These sustained positions can irritate the tissues, cause pain, affect motion and over time lead to inflammation or injury.
Neck injuries
A neck muscle strain occurs when you overstretch your neck muscles. Neck muscle strains are often due to traumas like sports injuries, car accidents or are due to repetitive stress injuries (i.e. turning your head repeatedly while swimming).
Whiplash is a type of sprain/strain injury caused when the head whips rapidly back and forth resulting in injury to the soft tissues in the back of the neck. A sprain occurs when you overstretch the ligaments whereas a strain occurs when you overstretch muscles.
The most common causes of whiplash injuries are automobile accidents, high-impact sports collisions, and accidents involving a slip or a fall.
The best way to be 100% sure of why you are experiencing neck pain is to request an appointment with our physical therapist in Conway and Perryville, AR.
Bulging or Herniated discs
The discs are specialized tissue between two vertebrae (i.e., spine bones). The discs help direct our spines’ movement and absorb forces and protect the bones from injury.
The discs are particularly vulnerable to injury from bending and twisting movements, primarily when associated with sudden movements from accidents and falls. The disc is also susceptible to prolonged postures related to sitting or lying in with your head in an awkward position.
Injury to the discs can cause significant pain in the back and lead to a more serious condition known as radiculopathy (i.e., nerve pain) in your arm, forearm and hand.
If you have a herniated disc in your neck, the nerves that branch out from your spinal cord may be pinched or irritated and inflamed at the place where the nerves exit the spine.
The good news is that physical therapy at our Conway and Perryville, AR clinic can help you if you struggle with pain associated with disc problems.
Degenerative disc disease (DDD)
Like any other joint in your body, the neck joints can deteriorate with age, causing pain. Degenerative disc disease is another common cause of neck pain and is most commonly associated with aging. Smoking, certain medications, and injury can also lead to degenerative changes.
Pain associated with degenerative disc disease often presents with changes to mobility and is commonly felt when turning to look over your shoulder while driving or looking up at the stars in the sky.
People often describe a dull, painful ache in the neck that gets worse with holding the head up or turning in one direction for lengthy periods.
Regardless of the cause of your back pain, our Elite Physical Therapy physical therapists can help get to the root of your problem and, more importantly, give you the tools to resolve your pain!
Illness
Certain diseases and illnesses can result in neck pain, such as rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, and meningitis.
There are many more reasons why neck pain may occur, fortunately, our physical therapists know how to identify the source of your pain and more importantly, how to find relief!
Request an Appointment
How to know if physical therapy can help your neck pain
Approximately 70% of all people will experience neck pain, and up to one-third of the population have experienced neck pain at some point during the last year. Often the key to relieving neck pain is seeking help sooner than later!
When left untreated, neck pain can persist, get worse, and in severe situations, may require surgery. Research has shown that seeking physical therapy early on can help alleviate the current situation and minimize the risk of a future problem.
The most common symptom in the early stages of neck pain is pain in one side of the neck with associated loss of motion when turning in one direction. Often people will also experience tension (tightness) in the upper back muscles (i.e., traps) that is worse at the end of the day or after a long day looking at the computer screen.
Some people will notice pain when they wake up that seems to have started for no apparent reason. The discomfort might be mild or severe, ranging from dull aching to acute, stabbing aches.
Additionally, neck pain can sometimes include these symptoms:
- Difficulty sleeping due to pain and discomfort
- Weakness in your arms or shoulders
- Headaches that include neck pain and radiating pain from the base of the skull or behind one eye
- Numbness or tingling in the upper extremities
- Stiffness and muscle tightness in the upper back and neck
- Inability to turn or sit up straight
- Pain when remaining in the same position for too long
If you are experiencing these symptoms, our Conway and Perryville, AR physical therapy clinics have the solution to your problem! Our therapists are skilled in finding and treating the source of your neck pain!
Neck pain relief at Elite Physical Therapy in Conway and Perryville, AR
Physical therapy is one of the most effective treatments for neck pain. If you want research-backed, effective, long-term relief for your neck pain, choose physical therapy over medications.
Our physical therapists at Elite Physical Therapy will conduct a thorough examination to establish your neck’s range of motion, upper body strength, and the location and quality of your pain. We will also ask about your pain, injury, and overall medical status history.
This information will help get to the root of your condition and help us determine which treatments are most appropriate for your particular situation.
Our Conway and Perryville, AR physical therapists will perform targeted manual therapy techniques, including joint mobilizations/manipulations and soft tissue techniques, to reduce your pain, increase the range of motion in your neck, and restore your natural posture.
We will also prescribe specific exercises to help you strengthen your muscles, improve your posture and improve and maintain your neck mobility.
Every treatment plan is unique, and what works for one patient may not work for another, but you can rest confident that your physical therapist will customize your treatment to meet your specific needs!
Request an Appointment
Request an appointment in Conway and Perryville, AR today
You may be living your life around severe neck pain, but it does not have to be that way. Elite Physical Therapy will help you get started on the road toward long-term pain relief.
Click here to schedule your first appointment to speak with one of our licensed physical therapists!
Do you need headache relief?
Elite Physical Therapy is the answer.
Do you suffer from headaches on a regular basis? Are your headaches coming more frequently and lasting longer? Do you notice tension in the upper back and neck every time you get a headache? Elite Physical Therapy in Conway and Perryville, AR is one of the most effective solutions for people suffering from headaches.
Physical therapists are skilled at getting to the root of your headaches and identifying all the factors contributing to your pain so you can find lasting relief once and for all!
Too often, the assumption is that a headache is just a normal part of being a human being. There are many causes for headaches and even more contributing factors that magnify and extend the duration of a headache.
Physical therapy is essential for long-term relief if you suffer from frequent headaches. Make an appointment with Elite Physical Therapy today to learn more about how physical therapy can help with headaches.
Request an Appointment
What kind of headache am I experiencing?
There are several possible types of headaches you can experience, and getting to the root cause is the key to long-term relief. Whether your headache is caused by a problem with your joints or from tension in your muscles, our physical therapists can help. We will address the contributing factors, including poor posture or stress, to give you the relief you are looking for.
Recognizing your headache type will help your physical therapist determine which pain-relieving treatments will work best for you. In many cases, the intensity of your headache is magnified by protective tension responses in the upper back and neck muscles. We will help identify the type of headache you are experiencing and give you effective strategies to minimize the severity and duration of your headaches!
The following are the most common types of headaches:
Cervicogenic headaches
Cervicogenic headaches originate in the cervical spine (i.e., neck). These headaches are most likely caused by dysfunction in the top three joints of the cervical spine. These headaches are more common in people who work in jobs that involve prolonged sitting, like working on a computer all day or driving for a living.
We usually consider poor postural habits to be relatively harmless. But the reality is that they could be putting undue stress on your neck, and if you aren’t careful, this could translate to a headache.
Another common way to trigger pain in your neck that radiates to the head is through weightlifting or other sports-related injuries. The forces that occur while lifting something heavy or participating in a contact sport can begin a cervicogenic headache.
Tension headaches
Tension headaches occur when your neck muscles and the muscles on your scalp become tense or, in some cases, spasm. A tension headache can feel like a tight band around your forehead.
A tension headache is the most common type of headache, but the exact cause is unknown. The muscles are thought to tense up in response to stress, depression, anxiety, or an injury to the head or neck. These headaches are slightly more common in women and tend to run in families.
Cluster headaches
Cluster headaches, which occur in cyclical patterns or cluster periods, are one of the most painful types of headaches. A cluster headache typically wakes a person up in the middle of the night with intense pain in or around one eye on one side of the head.
Musculoskeletal headaches
Musculoskeletal headaches are related to injuries or dysfunction in other areas. For example, a concussion or whiplash can lead to persistent headaches from the soft tissue supporting the cervical spine. The source of the headache is an injury, but it persists, in part, from the areas outside the region of the injury itself.
Muscle imbalances, postural problems, or injury to other body regions are the most common causes. Emotional stress can also play a role because of the postures we hold ourselves due to the stress.
Migraine
The exact cause of migraines is unknown, although they’re thought to be the result of temporary changes in the brain’s chemicals, nerves, and blood vessels that cause abnormal brain activity that affects nerve signals. Migraines are also thought to be related to our genes and may be hereditary.
Attacks are usually characterized by painful throbbing or pulsing on one side of the head, which can also be accompanied by changes in vision, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, or sensitivity to sound.
They are often caused by a combination of factors such as your diet, emotional stress, or other environmental reasons. By addressing your “triggers,” your therapist can help you learn to reduce the severity and frequency of your migraine episodes. We will also address the tissues of the upper back, neck, and face to help alleviate discomfort and minimize the severity of the episod.
How will Elite Physical Therapy promote headache relief?
Our highly skilled physical therapists at Elite Physical Therapy use the most advanced treatment techniques to help you resolve your headache. These treatments typically include targeted manual therapy techniques and specific exercises that address your personal needs.
During your first appointment, your Conway and Perryville, AR physical therapist will conduct a comprehensive evaluation that includes a detailed medical history, possible environmental causes, and a physical examination. Our examination will help us determine the type of headache you are experiencing and the most effective treatment program to resolve your discomfort.
The final piece of the plan will include education and instruction on a home exercise program to maintain your gains and prevent future headaches from occurring.
A physical therapist can treat headaches using the following methods:
- Increasing or restoring neck range of motion
- Alleviating muscle tension with manual therapy techniques
- Education and instruction on finding and maintaining a natural posture
- Improving strength and mobility for long-term relief
Requesting an appointment at our Conway and Perryville, AR physical therapy clinics is the only way to determine what a therapist recommends for your headache pain.
Request an Appointment
Are you sick of pain controlling you?
Visit our Conway and Perryville, AR clinic for headache relief!
Physical therapy may be the key to living a healthier, headache-free life. If you are in Conway and Perryville, AR and need headache relief, make an appointment with Elite Physical Therapy today!
