Neck Pain

Dr. Brent Cowles DPT,
Owner and Founder of Optimize Mobile Physical Therapy
Are You Experiencing Difficulty Sleeping, Lifting Weights, Reaching Into Overhead Cabinets, Checking Over Your Shoulder While Driving, Or Carrying Out Your Daily Tasks At Home Or Work Due To Persistent Neck Pain And Headaches?
- Have you tried various at-home treatments like heating pads, ice, and TENS devices, only to find that they provided little relief?
- Perhaps you've even had a couple of massages, but the discomfort keeps coming back after a few days.
- You sought help from a medical professional who gave you injections or prescribed medication, but the effects were short-lived.
- You've already attempted physical therapy, but unfortunately, it didn't yield the desired results.
- At this point, you've resigned to avoiding activities that worsen the situation, just to get by. If this describes your current situation, know that you're not alone, and there might be other solutions worth exploring.
Our Primary Goal Is To Assist You In Discovering Lasting Solutions To Your Concerns.
Here Are Some Common Neck Disorders We Specialize In Treating:
- Headaches
- Joint stiffness
- Muscle strains and tension
- Degenerative disc disease & injuries
These Disorders Can Arise From Various Typical Causes, Including:
- Impaired Mechanics: Weakness and muscle imbalances can lead to a reduced range of motion, while joint stiffness and muscle inflexibility can impact posture.
- Sudden Load or Impact: Injuries may occur due to an abrupt load or impact on the tissue.
- Chronic Compensatory Mechanisms: Sometimes, individuals develop compensatory habits, like avoiding certain muscle groups and overusing others, often stemming from past injuries or the fear of future ones.
At Optimize Mobile Physical Therapy, Our Approach Focuses On The Following Key Elements:
- Improving Posture: We address proper neck and thoracic (midback) posture to alleviate strain and tension in the neck area.
- Muscle Tension Reduction: Our methods target reducing tension in the upper neck muscles, providing relief and enhancing mobility.
- Enhancing Flexibility: We work on increasing flexibility in both the chest and neck muscles, promoting a better range of motion.
- Joint Mobility Improvement: Through manipulation, manual joint mobilization, and manual traction, we aim to enhance joint mobility.
- Strengthening Exercises: Specific exercises are designed to strengthen the neck and shoulder blade muscles effectively.
- Tissue Mobility Enhancement: Techniques like massage, instrument-assisted mobilization, and cupping are utilized to increase tissue mobility.
- Nerve Sensitivity Reduction: We incorporate specific nerve exercises to alleviate numbness, tingling, and pain that might extend down the arm.
- Functional and Plyometric Training: Our program includes functional and plyometric exercises such as throwing, catching, pushing, pulling, and pressing to enhance overall performance.
Key Points To Keep In Mind
- Tissue Recovery: The body has a natural healing capacity, but sometimes, it gets stuck in the inflammatory stage of tissue repair. In such cases, assistance is required to progress toward complete recovery.
- Limited Correlation of Imaging: MRI and X-ray results may not always accurately reflect the cause of pain. Tissue damage can be visible on imaging without causing pain or functional impairment. Conversely, pain can exist even when imaging shows no significant findings, often due to heightened nervous tissue sensitivity.
- Soreness after Exercise: Feeling soreness after exercise doesn't always indicate a problem. True strength gains require micro damage to tissues, which then grow back stronger. Soreness can be used as an indicator to determine if the tissue is ready for increased load. If not ready, training intensity should be reduced until the tissue is prepared.
- Return to Activities: With proper guidance, correct mechanics, and progressive tissue loading, it is usually possible to return to previous or desired activities, enabling a successful recovery process.