Ascent PT. The Connection Between Neck Pain & Headaches

Our Monthly Climb The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

Celebrating Our Second Location in Sandy!

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN NECK PAIN & HEADACHES The Problem With Posture • Relieve Neck Pain In Minutes Healthy Recipe • Patient Success Spotlight

www.ascentptnw.com

Our Monthly Climb The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

Celebrating Our Second Location in Sandy!

AscentPhysicalTherapy

17420MeinigAve Sandy,OR97055

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN NECK PAIN & HEADACHES

Headaches have a bad habit of making their appearance at the most inconvenient times. The middle of the workday, early in the evening when you have hours of responsibilities ahead of you, or even first thing in the morning when you are trying topayattentiontoyourmorningmeeting—headachesdon’tcarehow importantthe work ahead of you is. When they start, they are hard to stop. There are all sorts of reasons why headaches may develop. From environmental factors like weather changes and exposure to certain perfumes or other scents, to stress and allergies, headaches happen to the best of us. However, there are some headachesthatmaybeabitmorepredictablethanothers.Factors likeyourposture, the type of mattress you sleep on, the pillow you use, or even the desk chair you sit in at work can all impact your risk for experiencing regular headaches because of the intricate network of nerves and muscles in your neck. WHEN NECK PAIN LEADS TO HEADACHES The majority of the time, neck pain starts out as a seemingly small concern. A crick inyourneckhereortheremaystarttodevelopmorefrequently,andbeforeyouknow it,yourexperienceofneckpain issomethingyouaredealingwithdaily. It isn’talways

the result of something large. While being in a car accident or experiencing another sort of injury can definitely lead to chronic neck pain, the cause of the issue isn’t always as simple to identify. Sometimes it is a bad habit that you don’t really think twice about, like your habit of watching TV as you fall asleep, keeping your neck at anoddangleasyourest for theevening,ormaybeasaresultofyourpostureasyou type at your desk every day, hunched over at the shoulders with your neck catching the brunt of your slouch. Thesepoorhabitsarecommon,andmostofusconsiderthemtobeharmless.Sure, you know it isn’t great for you, but what is actually going to happen? It’s a lot easier toslouchasyou type,andwhodoesn’twant tocatcha few late-night laughsas they fall asleep? But the reality is that these seemingly irrelevant habits could be putting undue stress on your neck, and if you aren’t careful, this could translate to regular and uncomfortable headaches that are difficult to get rid of.

www.ascentptnw.com

The ProblemWith Posture

Working with a physical therapist can help you to identify whether or not your headachesmaybetheresultofneckpainorstrain.Oneofthemostcommoncauses of headaches due to neck pain is forward head position. Forward head position means that when you are resting your head, you are continuing to hold your head slightly forward, which is a type of slouching position. Youcan identifywhetherornotyouhaveaforwardheadpositionbystandingstraight against the wall and determining whether or not your head rests against the wall as your back does. If your head does not touch the wall when you are standing straight, thenyouaren’t fullystandingupstraight!Asyearsgobyanddayafterday youcontinue toholdyourhead in this forwardposition,youcanstart toexperience pain as a result of strain in the muscles of the neck. Whenthis isan issue,workingwithaphysicaltherapistmaybeabletohelp.Stretching themuscles inyournecktoalleviateneckstraincanreducetheseverityandregularity of your headaches. Stretching the muscles that have grown tight along the back of your neck as well as those along the shoulders can help you find relief from the tension that is causing your pain. When dealing with neck pain, it is important to remember that safety has to come first.While therearemanysimpleactivitiesyoucan tryathome tobeginstretching yourneckmuscles,workingwithaphysical therapist is theonlyway toensure that you are stretching in a way that won’t potentially lead to greater injury. For more information, contact us. If you’re suffering from pain, call Ascent PhysicalTherapy at 503.427.0118. Yourphysical therapistcanhelpyou return toamoreactiveandpain-free life.

Relieve Neck Pain In Minutes Try this simple exercise to keep you moving

Healthy Recipe Fruit Energy Bombs

RELIEVES NECK PAIN

www.simpleset.net

Ingredients • 1 cup chopped almonds • 1 cup dried figs • 1 cup dried apricots

• ⅓ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Neck Side Flexion Stretch Sit with good posture. Slowly lower your ear towards your shoulder as far as you comfortably can. Use your arm to guide your head slightly further until you feel a gentle stretch in your neck. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times on each side.

Directions Combine almonds, figs and apricots in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Roll the mixture into small balls and dredge in coconut.To make ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.

For more information, call Ascent Physical Therapy at 503.427.0118 or visit our website at ascentptnw.com

Provider Update

Patient Success Spotlight

Recently we took a trip to our friend’s farm, Lost Peacock Creamery, and had a blast playing with their baby goats from the Spring. As you can tell, my kids thoroughly enjoyed their goat snuggles! Rachael and Matt both worked in the medical field before deciding to pursue their dreams on the farm. We admire and understand the hardwork and dedication that it takes as a small local business. Ensuring top quality is always a must! If you’re interested in trying some of their goat cheeses, let them know you support local and sustainable practices too! TheircheesehasevenbeenusedbySalt&Strawhere inPDX for theirspecialty ice cream flavors! Please remember to wear sunscreen while enjoying our beautiful Oregon weather and don’t forget to wear life jackets while enjoying the water! Yours in health, Derek

“Iwas inacaraccidentseveralmonthsago. After theaccident, Iwasunable to turn my neck or head without pain. I have always been very active, and I was worried that I would be limited for a long time. After therapy and coaching from the staff at Ascent PT, I am able to return to my regular activities. Thanks to Ascent, I am back and running. Snowboarding season is here, and I can now enjoy myself.” - Mike H.

Has Your Pain Come Back?

Special Offer

Don’t let back pain become a way of life!

1. Feel free to call us and ask to speak to your therapist.

FREE NECK PAIN ANALYSIS

2. Your therapist can discuss with you why your pain is bothering you again and what you might do about it at home. 3. If further assessment is warranted, your therapist might recommend you come in for an appointment.

Call 503.427.0118 to schedule your appointment today!

Call To Talk to Your Therapist Today 503.427.0118

16126 SE Happy Valley Town Center Dr #200 Happy Valley, OR 97086

Offer valid for the first 25 people to schedule. Expires 9-30-19.