Best neck pain treatment options including myofascial trigger point release and other manual therapeutic interventions

Are you looking for neck pain treatment in Orlando and Central Florida?

Neck pain can hurt so badly and make your neck stiff, or it can be just a mild achy discomfort. Even if mild, neck pain can greatly affect your quality of life and your ability to work, enjoy your daily activities, and sleep.

Keep reading to learn how to relieve neck pain and how myofascial trigger point release and other manual interventions can help with neck pain.

Why do you get neck pain?

Neck pain can be due to muscles spasms, inflammation, arthritis, poor posture, inappropriate computer or desk positioning, overuse and repetitive movements, sports lesions, or trauma. Neck pain can also occur due to medical conditions such as fibromyalgia.

Common causes of neck pain include:

Osteoarthritis

Cervical degenerative disc disease

Cervical disc herniation

Spinal stenosis (compression of the spinal cord)

Cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve)

Muscle spasms

Myofascial trigger points

Neck pain can occur with other symptoms

Neck issues can cause headaches. Cervicogenic headaches are headaches that originate in the cervical spine. This occurs because pain signals travel through nerves shared by both the neck and head. There are also muscles that span the neck and skull and when affected, both areas can hurt.

Neck issues can cause dizziness. People with neck pain often have dizziness and people with dizziness often have neck pain. This relationship is in part due to reduced neck mobility and an impairment in the nervous system pathways related to the sense of balance.

Neck pain can be related to jaw pain. People with temporomandibular disorders often have neck, head, and shoulder pain. 

Symptoms indicating a serious neck issue

Red flags indicating that neck pain is serious and requires prompt care include pain down arms and legs, arm or leg weakness, loss of coordination, loss of bowel or bladder control, fever, chills, and night sweats.

Neck pain that occurs with other symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, loss of balance, sleep problems, or swallowing problems, among others, may indicate that the junction between the head and the cervical spine is unstable. This is craniocervical instability and can be seen after trauma, in rheumatoid arthritis, or in Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. These patients need to be sure to be evaluated by experienced physicians.

Neck pain treatment options

Treatment for neck pain aims to reduce pain and muscle spasm and improve range of motion. Options include medications, exercise and pain modalities such as ultrasound therapy, electrical stimulation or red light therapy, manual therapy, ergonomic modifications, injections, and even surgery in some cases.

Options for neck pain relief at home may include heating pads, gentle stretches, topical anti-inflammatories, posture corrections, stress reduction, self-massage, and avoiding repetitive movements. Talk with your healthcare provider to see which options are for you.

Manual treatments for neck pain

Manual therapy has been shown to help with neck pain and range of motion. People with neck pain may have irritable spots within muscle fibers called myofascial trigger points. Myofascial trigger point release can help deactivate those hypersensitive muscle points and relieve pain. Other manual interventions, such as muscle energy techniques, can be used as well to relieve pain and restore adequate movement patterns.

Forward head posture is seen in a majority of people with neck pain, especially in this era of prolonged computer use and texting. Important muscles in the neck get shorter (e.g. sternocleidomastoid and the suboccipital muscles) and releasing them can help correct this abnormal posture and pain. People with migraine can have a forward head and active trigger points. In addition, people with TMJ pain can also have a forward head and trigger points in the neck radiating pain to the jaw. Therefore, it makes sense that releasing important muscles in the neck may relief those conditions as well. Moreover, some manual techniques for releasing the neck muscles may even help you breath better!

Exercise for neck pain

Incorporating exercise into the treatment of myofascial trigger points can help improve pain and mobility over the long term. Exercise is safer if performed under your doctor’s supervision based on the cause of neck pain or underlying condition. In general, stabilization exercises targeting the muscles of the neck, shoulders, and upper back, can help improve pain.

What is the best way to treat neck pain?

There is no single standard treatment for neck pain. Ultimately, treatment will depend on what is causing the neck pain, and many times, in your personal preference as agreed with your healthcare team.

Takeaways

Neck pain does not have to dictate your life. Manual medicine can help improve your neck pain, range of motion, and function through techniques such as myofascial trigger point release. Other rehabilitation strategies include posture correction and stabilization exercise.