Why Should You Consult An Osteopath For Neck Pain?
Neck pain is not just exclusive to adults with desk jobs or seniors suffering from osteoarthritis. Even children can also face neck issues due to injury or poor posture habits. If left untreated, the pain can worsen and affect other areas of your body. Neck pain can be localised at first but end up radiating elsewhere, causing headaches, shoulder pain and upper backache.
What Causes Neck Pain?
Pain in the neck area can have a few possible triggers, the most common of which is poor posture during sleep, work or while reading a book or viewing your mobile screen. So how does the pain affect your neck structurally? It can restrict your movement, limiting your field of vision.
The restriction in the upper back and neck is caused by the tensing of the muscles (hypertonia), which is also responsible for the pain. Here are some other reasons for neck aches:
- General lifestyle such as sleeping position, prolonged computer use, etc.
- Stress, anxiety or depression
- Deterioration of the neck joints (osteoarthritis)
- Disc bulge or prolapse
- Muscle strain
- Whiplash
However, these are not the only reasons for neck pain. Often illnesses such as viral infection to the throat can also cause the same. You should always consult a medical professional if the pain doesn’t fade away or is too debilitating.
How Can an Osteopathic Clinic Help With Neck Pain?
Generally, any musculoskeletal pain indicates that your body is out of alignment. An osteopath will be able to help restore the body to its optimal state of balance by using various manual techniques.
Their goal is to manipulate the bones and massage the muscles in a practised manner to aid proper alignment. A registered osteopath uses their hands to determine the source of pain and remove the obstruction to heal the body.
The pain in the neck doesn’t need to be due to a problem in the same region. It is not unusual for back problems to affect the neck, and an osteopath will be able to detect this. Your DO will focus on discovering the source of the problem to treat it rather than just addressing the symptoms.
Benefits Of Osteopathy For Neck Pain
Your osteopath in Croydon might suggest exercises that can help prolong the effects of the treatment and decrease the pain from recurring. Once they restore the balance of your body, it will eliminate restrictions that were causing you pain, allowing you to resume your everyday activities as usual.
Besides reducing your neck pain, osteopathic treatment can also help to increase your range of motion. Manual therapy helps to improve the flow of body fluids, which can also promote healing. You can expect your osteopathic clinic in croydon to suggest ways to manage your condition and provide tips to aid your recovery.
What Can You Do To Avoid Neck Pain?
While there are several things you can do to improve your posture habits, here are some questions that may help you better understand why you suffer from posture-related pain problems at work:
- Do you have an ergonomic work desk setup?
- Is your screen at eye level?
- Is your chair at the right height?
- Do you look down at your device screen for too long?
It is also essential to take breaks during work, so you get the opportunity to get up and walk. You can also get a laptop stand that allows you to work while sitting or standing. Setting a reminder on your phone can ensure you alternate between sitting and standing at regular intervals.
Tips To Relieve Mild Neck Pain
If your pain has not progressed to a worse stage, there are some things you can do to reduce it, including:
- Applying a heat pack or heat cream to relieve muscle tension
- Taking a warm shower to help relax tight muscles
- Avoiding activities that can aggravate the existing pain
- Refraining from overhead movements that can add to the muscle tension
- Alternating between cold and hot compress
- Trying stretching exercises that don’t worsen the pain
- Getting a gentle neck massage
- Changing your position at regular intervals
- Practising good posture habits
Keep in mind that these steps only reduce mild pain and might not help with chronic conditions. If your neck pain worsens, stop immediately and wait for it to pass and consult your local osteopath in croydon. In case your DO suspects the problem is beyond their scope of treatment, they will refer you to a GP.
During the consultation, you can expect the osteopath to ask questions about your general lifestyle, habits, diet and medical history. This is part of their efforts to understand your problem better and determine the source of the restriction to develop a more effective treatment plan. If you are looking for an osteopath in Croydon to treat neck pain, you can consult our practitioners at the Croydon Osteopathy clinic.