Get Relief From Neck And Back Pain

It’s happened to us all. We wake up with a crick in our neck or maybe we strain our backs lifting a load that’s just a little too heavy. But what if your pain isn’t relieved after a few days of rest and at home care? It may be time to see a medical professional. After all, neck and back pain are some of the most common reasons people visit their doctor every year.

“You really shouldn’t wait longer than about a week to see someone if you’re experiencing neck or back pain that’s not feeling better on its own at home,” said Jason Hutchison, PT, DPT, a physical therapist at Franciscan Health Mooresville. “If you wait too long, your temporary pain can become chronic, which can take longer to relieve.”

Common Causes Of Neck And Back Pain

There are many different causes of neck and back pain, but what Hutchison sees most frequently is pain caused by:

• Injury
• Poor posture
• Repetitive movement (or overuse)

“When you do something mildly incorrect all day long, such as lifting with your back instead of your knees or have improper technique throwing a ball, these ‘microtraumatic’ injuries can have a cumulative effect that eventually causes muscle breakdown and pain,” he said.

Building Strength, Flexibility With Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is a very effective treatment for many types of back and neck pain. It’s typically the first line of defense if rest and at-home care isn’t helping. Your doctor can refer you to physical therapy or you can schedule an appointment without a referral.

During your first physical therapy session, you’ll work closely with a licensed physical therapist. They will ask questions about your pain, including what may have caused it and its frequency and intensity. You will also work together to make goals for your therapy – whether that’s finding relief from the pain or returning to sports. Then, your physical therapist will create a plan that helps you reach those goals. Your plan may include:

• Exercises that build strength, improve flexibility and increase range of motion.
• Manual therapy, such as joint manipulation or mobilization, to help relieve tension in the neck or back.
• Biomechanical evaluation and feedback to help identify and correct improper techniques for activities like lifting, carrying, standing or throwing, which helps improve form, function and reduces the risk of injury.
• Home program, including at-home exercise and ways to improve/modify everyday activities, like ergonomic workstations and raising or lowering counters during meal prep.
• Education and empowerment to encourage patients to continue treatment at home and to help them understand the impact of their program.

“We spend a lot of time educating our patients and sharing how simple strategies can help relieve their pain,” Hutchison said. For example, most movement people make is forward movement. “We lean forward to read. We lean forward to wash dishes; we look at our phones and work on the computer with a forward lean.”

“When we help people become aware of their posture, they can make little adjustments to correct their movements, shifting weight from one foot to another or relaxing their knees to counter that force and put less strain on their backs and necks,” he said.

That support and encouragement help people stay on track with their exercises and recovery and helps reduce the risk of future neck or back injury.