Neck Pain- Functional Stretch Therapy

Neck pain(muscle pain) is commonly encountered by adults with forward head posture which may be caused by muscle imbalance, & this may cause neck muscles to cause headache pain sometimes referred to tension migraines. Learn how you can fix your neck pain without surgery & go through non-invasive treatment groups.

Does stretching help neck & shoulder pain?

Many people carry considerable pressure on their upper trapezius muscles. The muscles are knotted or spasms over the muscles between the necks and shoulders. Most search engines direct you to self-treatment by sweeping your shoulders, stretching your body & rubbing your shoulders. When the condition becomes more severe, the doctor prescribes oral medicine & injectables. However these treatments have very low effective potential & do not address root causes for long periods. Rather, they treat just the pain, symptomatically(temporary), & that's why people suffer from frequent pain. The muscle fibers of the cervical spine such levator scapulae muscles, deep cervical flexors, & lower trapezius are usually affected in neck joint range of motion, & in most clinical practice, dynamic stretching alone will not be enough to reduce pain as the connective tissue are bearing the load in less than optimal position. You'd need to also perform exercises that helps the surrounding muscles/ connective tissues.

How do you stretch the upper trapezius muscle?

A typical worker is at work 12 hours a day. Moreover, we sit in our automobile and on TV, and look at our computers. All this activity makes us sway and puts our shoulders forward, which causes our upper back to hunch. To look ahead we lift the head up and create compression on the cervical where the head meets the head. This mechanical encroachment creates tension within the path where spinal accessories enter & leave the brain.
This postural compensating condition is often experienced during prolonged computer, driving, or mobile use. The muscle is pulled up to the head & allows the suboccipital muscle to rest and stretch. The lateral scapula and semi-spinalis capitis muscle is stressed. These muscles produce trigger points that may cause headache & jaw pain. A simple way to stretch passively is to:

• Hold something heavy with one arm(eg right arm)
• Actively pull your chin to your chest
• Use the other hand if your range if limited to assist motion
• Sweep your chine to the opposite side of the armpit & think of sniffing it(bringing or stretching it even further)

What muscles do you stretch for neck pain?

It has been concluded that MET, PNF & active stretching can relieve pain in patients with mechanical pain. In addition, it was found that a combination of exercise & stretching helped improve neck pain. So MET may be favoured over stretching & traditional exercises to treat patients suffering mechanical non specific neck pain. This is done by improving the thoracic spine to help with more range which makes a significant difference to tension loading on your cervical area. Stretching the major muscles in the lower & upper neck, shoulder joint(rotator cuffs) will help alleviate aches & find relief in tension.

What therapy is best for chronic neck pain?

While stretching exercise is advised, a combination of manual therapy such as Functional Stretch Therapy, physical medicine/ physical therapy(exercise) will help rid of the neck pain by improving neck muscle strength, & connective tissue orientation, helping with pain reduction. If you have had chronic neck pain that you've tried to fix for a long time or even seen a healthcare professional but failed, let Functional Stretch Therapy help you. Book your slots below, alternatively, you can contact us at whatsapp(+6587693235).