HEP: Neck (Sprain/Strain)
Patient Education
What’s going on?
Your muscles around your neck, have become painful and strained from sustained postures, repetitive movements or often trauma (i.e. car accidents).
This injury is very common and you are not alone. Patients can have very good outcomes with this common injury.
A whiplash injury is similar to a sprained ankle. The tissues have been stretched and need some time to heal. We can use a brace around your neck to maintain a neutral spine.
An imbalance in the strength of your deeper stabilizing muscles and your larger superficial muscles can be a contributing factor to your pain.
Remember that pain is a normal and healthy protective mechanism. It means your body is working and healing.
How long will it take?
Depending on the severity of the problem, it can take anywhere from 8-12 visits spread over 6-8 weeks. Most tissues take about 6 weeks to heal, but research shows this problem can get better with physical therapy and acupuncture.
How will we treat your condition at IHSM?
At IHSM, a doctor of physical therapy will perform a detailed physical examination to determine which muscles need to be stronger and which need to be more flexible.
Based on the findings, your therapist will design a specific treatment plan to ensure an optimal recovery.
Modalities such as acupuncture, or electrical stimulation may also be used to decrease inflammation and control the pain in your neck.
Your therapist will also work with you to help explore ways to perform bothersome activities in a more comfortable manner.
Acute Phase:
You will also be taught how to have better posture to take stress off your neck.
It is good to remain active, but don’t overdo it, tissues take time and rest to heal.
Your physical therapist will assess your neck and will relax or stretch your tight or overactive muscles that are found to be a contributing factor.
You will also be given stretching and strengthening exercises to do on your own to regain the balance between the deeper stabilizing muscles and your larger superficial ones.
Your physical therapist will give helpful suggestions to avoid the aggravating positions, movements, or postures that increase your neck pain. This will include tips on how to set up an ergonomic workspace.
Subacute Phase:
As your neck begins to feel better, you will begin to more exercises to stretch and strengthen muscles around your trunk and neck to balance the weak and tight muscles.
Your therapist will begin to train your neck movements to be more optimal.
You will also begin training exercises to help develop your body’s neck position awareness and control (proprioception and kinesthetic awareness).
What can you do to help yourself?
It is crucial to pay attention to your posture. Try to maintain your ears line up over your shoulders and your shoulders lined up with your hips. This will assist in keeping your spine in a neutral position, which will relieve the stress of gravity on your neck muscles.
To help maintain proper posture make sure you set up an ergonomic workspace.
Take 30-second work breaks every 1 hour to readjust your posture and to do your stretches. Remember taking a break before your body experiences pain or discomfort is the way to manage your neck pain.
If any of the stretches or exercises aggravate your symptoms, let your physical therapist know so they can adjust your home exercise program.
Instructions:
Do these exercises only if you do not have pain or numbness running down your arm or into your hand. Do not do any exercises that make your neck pain worse.
About IHSM
Integrative Health and Sports Medicine, LLC is a one-stop health and wellness center. Our mission is to restore our patients to a healthy, pain-free, and productive life. By combining orthopedic physical therapy techniques, sports medicine, acupuncture, and Chinese medicine, we are able to treat conditions and achieve results in cases that have not responded well to modern Western medicine.
We are located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Please email us at info@integrativesports.com to schedule a consultation and let us help you on your journey to optimal health.