pain free.
OPTIMISE YOUR RECOVERY AND DECREASE YOUR RELIANCE ON PAIN MEDICATION
MECHANICAL NECK PAIN
Poor lifestyle, spending periods of time in prolonged positions, poor sleep and increased stress can all lead to mechanical type neck pain.
It is important to note however that it is not only sedentary individuals who suffer with neck symptoms. Highly active individuals are also prone to mechanical neck pain potentially related to some of the factors above but more commonly as a result of increased loads their necks are exposed to during activity.
For both groups the key to recovery is to identify the cause of the pain, address factors relating to it and then put a plan in place to build resilience and robustness in the long term. That’s what our team at Hardiman Performance are here to help you with.
Mechanical neck pain is essentially pain related to musculoskeletal structures in the neck (joints, muscles, ligaments, discs etc) and how this relates to you as a whole organism and the way you use your body/live your life. This type of pain can vary in intensity and symptoms pattern but may often lead to reduced range of motion and difficulty with daily tasks.
Occasionally the nerves passing through your neck which then supply the arm can become sensitive leading to pain, pins and needles or weakness into the arm or hand. We always recommend those with such symptoms to be assessed professionally.
With mechanical neck pain, it is true to say that posture may be a factor but from our experience and in line with current research, posture types are often not the primary factor.
Whatever the cause of your neck pain our team of experts are available to work out the exact cause of your pain and work with you in order to facilitate a full recovery.
HEADACHES
There are 3 types of headaches that often have some relationship you’re your neck. These are Migraine, Tension Type and Cervicogenic headaches. The most common being cervicogenic headache.
Cervicogenic headaches are head pain which is caused by referral from musculoskeletal structures in your neck. This can be a muscle, joint, ligament or disc etc.
These structures can refer pain into your head, face and eyes giving you all the classic signs of a headache. It is usual to notice an increase of symptoms on neck activity or a tightness/decrease in neck range of motion with a cervicogenic headaches.
Cervicogenic headaches are most commonly one sided and can cause symptoms into the base of skull, eyes, forehead, temple or top of skull regions.
Depending on the intensity, this type of headache is commonly mistaken for migraine as some features are common.
If you are suffering with a headache and want to speak to one of our team about how we can help you with your pain, please get in contact.
NEUROLOGICAL PAIN
Occasionally neck pain can also be associated with neurological symptoms into one or both arms/hands. These symptoms may include pins and needles, numbness, tingling, weakness, muscle twitching and shooting pains. In more severe cases this may lead to muscle loss and complete loss of sensation.
The nerves that supply the arm leave the spine from the neck and are therefore sometimes can become irritated or sensitised by structures in the neck. There are many reasons for irritation which may include muscle tightness, joint inflammation, disc injury, arthritis and rib issues.
If you are experiencing any of the above our team of osteopaths are at hand to discuss this with you, provide you with a diagnosis and plan to get you on the path to recovery.
In all cases, we screen our patients for all the likely causes of such pain to know when we the right people to help and when we need to refer on. In some cases, this means that we may recommend that you see a different medical professional to continue your care. Our aim is to always make sure our patients get the best and correct care.
TRAUMA INDUCED PAIN
Neck pain can occur as a result of trauma. Such trauma may include road traffic accidents or sporting trauma (rugby, combat sports etc).
Such cases should always be managed with appropriate caution. We always recommend those with trauma induced neck pain to speak to one of our team first before coming into clinic as we may recommend seeing a doctor or having some additional testing prior.
Trauma induced neck pain can produced many of the same symptoms as those discussed in many of the sections above but due to the nature of onset can sometimes need more urgent care.
At all times with neck trauma it is important to rule out any damage to bones or arteries which may have occurred with trauma.
If you have recently had neck trauma and would like to speak to one of our team about your next steps to recover, please contact us.
For those with ongoing pain from previous trauma to the neck our team are also perfectly placed to assess your current position, diagnose the current cause of pain and begin rehabilitation to get you on the path to recovery.
SCREENING
Some neck pain presentations are caused by structures which are non-musculoskeletal and for that reason it may be appropriate to get further advice/testing from other specialists outside of our practice.
You can be reassured that our team of osteopaths use the most up to date clinical testing and application of research to screen for any concerning symptoms. We ensure our patients get the best/correct care, so if we cannot personally help you with your neck pain, we will make sure that you see the person who can.
