Can Osteopathy help neck pain?
I hope to answer some common questions that patients have asked me over my years of being in practice. This blog is going to focus on the question – ‘can Osteopathy help with neck pain?’. Sometimes, neck pain as I’m describing it here is also known as a ‘cricked neck’ or ‘bad neck’. The information provided here describes all of the above.
Neck Pain (a.k.a. non-specific neck pain)
Non-specific neck pain is a common musculoskeletal condition resulting in pain, loss of movement and disability. Most people will notice it after a specific event such as turning their head sharply or at an awkward angle. Some people will find it affects them only when they wake up and some with specific activities.
It’s important to recognise that something which starts as a mild ache or grinding sensation, can develop into something much more severe in later life if adjustments to your spine and/or your working practices and habits are not managed properly.
Our job is to help with your spinal adjustments and offer advice on best practice for your work and home habits. Your job is to listen to and follow our advice relating to pain management. Treatment will only be needed for as long as you and I both agree it is necessary.
How common is it?
Neck pain is the fourth greatest cause of global disability and affects between 30% and 50% of adults per year. It is likely that most adults will experience neck pain at some point in their life. Current NHS guidelines for managing this type of pain includes a combination of exercise, stretching, simple painkillers, and manual therapy, such as Osteopathy.
Common causes to watch out for
Non-pathological
There are some common non-pathological causes I see in clinic which are considered ‘non-specific’ neck pain. They tend to be common with full time workers, sitting at computers, working manually (tradesmen) and driving with jobs.
Prolonged smartphone/tablet/laptop usage is another common cause.
Regardless of whether or not the recommended ergonomic practices are used, these causes still manage to create pain and stiffness in the neck.
Stress and tension is another cause and there are various ways we can help with this too.
Pathological
The most common pathological cause would be Osteoarthritis, a form of age related degeneration of the spine. Disc disease is another cause, including the incorrectly known ‘slipped disc’, which is more accurately known as a bulging, protruding or herniated disc.
How can Osteopathy help neck pain?
According to research, Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment is very effective at treating neck pain as well as other types of pain in the body. Osteopathy is not alone, Craniosacral Therapy has also been proven to help reduce neck pain and neck disability.
Here at Baks Osteopathy, we take great care to listen to what you tell us during the initial consultation. This initial conversation helps us to understand what your body has been through up until the point that we see you. Often, people unwittingly cause stresses and strains to their body, commonly they are caused by ‘bad habits’ such as slouching.
Once we have an idea of what is going on in your body, we will assess your body for movement. Sometimes, we do orthopaedic and general medical testing, referring you for medical help/further tests if absolutely necessary.
We use gentle joint manipulation and soft tissue release and relaxation techniques to help you out of pain. The techniques we use work to relax the nervous system which controls our muscles, easing pressure on joints and ligaments. Breaking the cycle of pain is the first step to the root cause of your problem, this provides pain relief.
After treatment, we may advise you of safer working practices, changes to certain habits and even some exercises and stretches. All advice is to be taken as part of the treatment and for best results, you should follow our advice closely.
‘Trapped Nerves’ & ‘Pinched Nerves’
Often we see people coming to see us with what they describe as a ‘trapped nerve’ or a ‘pinched nerve’. The correct term is closer to being an inflamed nerve as this says what actually is causing the problem, Mechanically a nerve is being entrapped, but that’s just academic semantics for you. Anyway….
We can help these people!! Which is the news you wanted to hear isn’t it? Osteopathy is perfect for working in conjunction with certain exercises and medicines. Together, they reduce the swelling around the nerve quicker and will get to the root of the problem. This helps prevent it from happening again.
Book in to see us
If you would like to speak to us about your neck pain, then we have a special offer a free 15 minute discovery call. Sometimes people want pain relief, but are unsure if Osteopathy or Cranial Therapy is right for them. Our free discovery call allows them to find out for free – yep! totally free. You can even book your discovery call online.
Decided that you would like to come in to see us already? Click on the big green button and you’ll go straight to our booking page.
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