Understanding Musculoskeletal Conditions and Neck Pain
Neck pain is one of the top three most commonly experienced types of pain, along with low back pain and headaches. It is estimated that approximately 68% of individuals will experience neck pain in their lifetime. Neck pain can derive from a number of factors, such as poor posture, muscle strains, nerve compression, and injuries. Most of the time, neck pain is not a serious condition and can be relieved within a few days. However, there are occasions when neck pain can indicate severe damage and require medical treatment. Symptoms that suggest more serious issues include neck pain following an injury, such as a car accident, pain that radiates down the arms or legs, weakness, numbness, or tingling in the arms, hands, legs, or feet, difficulty walking, and loss of bladder or bowel control.
Musculoskeletal conditions can affect the bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves. Symptoms can include pain, stiffness, and swelling in the back, neck, arms, legs, or hip. Many people rely on specialists to cure every ache and pain, but there are several measures one can take to relieve minor cases of discomfort. As with neck pain, stress management, gentle neck exercises, and applying either hot or cold packs can help alleviate the pain. Chin tucks, or moving the chin towards the chest without bending the neck, can help to improve the pain in the neck.
Physiotherapy as a Key Treatment Option for Neck Pain
Tension headache neck pain treatment typically includes relaxation techniques, exercises, and sometimes medication to alleviate symptoms. One type of comprehensive orthopedic service available in Singapore is a private group practice with a team of orthopedic specialists, physiotherapists, and hand therapists working together in the management of musculoskeletal problems and sports injuries. This group provides services such as assessment, diagnosis, and treatment for a wide range of orthopedic and sports-related problems. They focus on helping patients recover from pain and injury, improve physical performance, and prevent reoccurrence of problems. Treatment techniques may include activity modification, pharmacologic intervention, injections, and surgical options. They also stress the importance of patient education and offer resources for self-help and self-care.
Neck pain or a stiff neck is a common problem that varies from a mild ache to a severe, burning, or sharp pain. In fact, neck pain is so common that a large body of scientific research has addressed the effectiveness of various physiotherapy treatment approaches to managing it. Physiotherapy is a key treatment option for neck pain. In physiotherapy, the situation is assessed, a diagnosis is made, and a treatment plan is implemented. Treatment plans may include manual therapy techniques, such as joint mobilization and manipulation, muscle re-education, postural control, and specific therapeutic exercises to reduce pain and improve function. Consulting a physiotherapist early for acute neck pain has been shown to lead to faster recovery.
Approaches to Treating Neck Pain and Headaches
Orthopaedic and Pain Management Services in Singapore has adopted a unique and very effective approach for the treatment of headaches and neck pain. This service combines a few therapeutic modalities to help manage and resolve musculoskeletal pain, and it is especially effective for the neck and head region. The modalities used can include injections, surgery, or medicine. This all depends on the severity of the condition and other important factors.
Holistic Care for Tension Headaches and Neck Pain
Effective treatment for neck pain causing headaches often involves a combination of medication and physical therapy. It is very common for patients to consult us with complaints of tension headaches and associated neck pain and shoulder pain. It is well understood that the etiology of these headaches is the muscle and joint tension in the surrounding areas. Most tension headaches are related to posture. In a world which is becoming more and more tech savvy, we are spending an inordinate amount of time peering into our smartphones and working on laptops and computers. The cumulative effect is a protracted forward head posture which leads to myofascial tightness in the suboccipital muscles, upper trapezius, levator scapulae and pectorals. This in turn causes joint restrictions in the cervical and thoracic vertebrae. The treatment regime in our clinic is a holistic one. Our physiotherapist will help with releasing muscular and fascial tightness with myofascial release techniques, dry needling, and deep tissue massage. The physiotherapist will also use joint mobilization and manipulation to free up restricted joints in the cervical and thoracic spines. Postural re-education is also a very important part of the treatment. The physiotherapist will teach you how to look after your body and make it do what you want it to do. This involves understanding the correct ergonomics of your work station, understanding how to hold yourself in the correct posture and how to move correctly, regardless of whether you are standing, sitting or moving. We also use shockwave therapy to help with chronic muscle pain.
