Got Neck Pain? Santa Rosa Therapist Offers Gentle, Safe Relief
Some causes of neck pain, such as a car accident or a slip and fall, are obvious.
However, most causes of neck pain arise more gradually through repetitive motions, poor posture, or imbalances in other parts of the body.
This gradual onset might be initially felt as chronic stiffness, difficulty turning one’s head or perhaps a slight “crick” in the neck after sleeping.
But the actual “up-stream” cause is usually a mix of factors that develop from across another area (or multiple areas) of the body.
This eventually creates compensations that result in the muscles, tendons and/or joints of the neck to become overly taxed producing pain and restriction.
Common complaints include stiffness, loss of motion and rotation, all-over neck soreness, headaches, jaw tension, sharp pain in one area of the neck, and pain, numbness, or tingling radiating down the arm.
Consequences You Might not Expect
People who receive manual therapy for a particular problem are often surprised to learn that other problems they have been experiencing are related.
For example, you may find that the problems you’ve been having with your shoulder are stemming from some dysfunction in your upper back and/or neck. Untreated neck stiffness and pain can even lead to issues you might never expect, such as poor balance or jaw, hip, back and even knee pain. It’s this kind of scenario where treating the site of pain never really has the problem fully eliminated – allowing the pain and stiffness to eventually return.
How Can Manual Therapy Help?
In your initial session we will discuss your symptoms and do a full assessment to find out the extent of the problem and to pinpoint the main cause(s) of your pain. The body’s neuromuscular system is incredibly intelligent and complex so muscles and joints don’t just go tight and become painful without some “up-stream” cause.
So a full assessment is needed to find the those patterns of compensation–those muscles, tendons or ligaments that are being overused as well as those that are being forgotten and underused. Also it might be important to note that the longer an issue has been around the more complex the compensatory patterns often are. But rest assured, I know how to find and correct those patterns to get you out of pain and back to do the things you enjoy
Treatment
At Santa Rosa Advanced Manual Therapy, I use several advanced techniques and forms of treatment, including joint mobilizations, soft tissue therapy, core muscle activation and movement retraining.
The sessions are all collaborative so please come expecting to be a full participant in your sessions.
You may also go home with some movement practices and/or stretches that will support the work we do in the office.
My goal is to help you manage and eventually eliminate the pain, improve your range of motion, increase muscle function, and restore efficient movement mechanics to get you back to normal, pain free function and back to the activities you enjoy.
Call the office today to schedule your free consultation with me or schedule your initial session online. I’d love to help you get out of pain.
Experiencing pain in your shoulder? Learn how manual therapy can help with shoulder pain >>