Doctor PT. Relieving Neck Pain

N E W S L E T T E R

DOCTOR Physical Therapy

Breaking Free From Neck Pain Also Inside Is Your Neck Pain Caused By Sleep Issues? Exercise Essentials • Patient Success Spotlight

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N E W S L E T T E R

DOCTOR Physical Therapy

Neckpaincanbebothdebilitatingand terrifying.Whenyouexperience an injury that leaves your neck in severe pain, the thought of not being ableto freelyturnyourhead isoverwhelminglystressful.What’smore, thepain itself isunbearable,andsincetheneck issosensitiveto injury, it is important to be as careful as possible in finding treatment and solutions for the pain. It is incredibletorealizehowcommonneckpain is—especiallyamong Americanadults!Morethantwo-thirdsofU.S.adultswilldevelopneck pain at least once in their life, and the reasons for the neck pain are as varied as the population of the nation itself. Injury, muscle strain and even stress can cause significant pain in the neck and upper back. If you aren’t careful, a neck injury can lead to chronic pain, and it is even possible for chronic headaches like migraines to develop as a result of regular neck pain. There are a lot of different ways that you can relieve neck pain, but the best treatment for your personal needs depends entirely on the type of injury that you’ve experienced. What’s The Cause? If your pain is developing gradually over time and is not the result of any particular injury that comes to mind, then it may be a result of degenerative disc disease. When this develops, you may experience chronic neck pain as a result of fluid-filled sacs that are becoming weakened over time as a result of stress and strain. Physical therapy can help alleviate the pain from degenerative disc disease by helping restorebloodcirculationand improverangeofmotion intheneck.This Breaking Free From Neck Pain Stay A Neck Ahead Of Chronic Pain!

therapy isapproached inacarefulanddeliberatewaysoastonotcause further pain in the neck region. Sometimes, neck pain develops after a particular injury, such as due to athleticism or even as a result of a car accident or a slip and fall accident. When this happens, your pain could be a result of a muscle strain or sprain. When this is the case, then using traditional methods like hot and cold therapy and targeted physical therapy treatment can do a lot of good to alleviate the pain. However, attempting exercises on your own could also result in further pain. Insomecases,mechanicalneckpaincandevelopasaresultofachange intheneck joints.Thismaydevelopasaresultofadisccollapsing,which causes the space between the bones to become narrow, often causing bonestostrikeoneanother,resulting inpain.Whenthis isn’taddressed, mechanical neck pain can spread, causing the pain to become more severe and covering a wider range of the neck. Finally,neckpain issometimescausedbyradiculopathy,whichrefersto pressureor irritation inthenervesoftheneck,whichalterstheelectrical signals in the neck, causing you to feel more pain throughout the day. Physicaltherapycanhelpreducethepressureand irritationsurrounding the nerves, often offering immediate relief from pain and discomfort. Theseare justsomeofthe frequentcausesofneckpain. It is important that you never assume that your neck pain is being caused by one or anotherofthese issues,andthatyou insteadalwaysworkwithalicensed and experienced physical therapist to determine the precise cause of your pain and discomfort.

Are you letting back pain hold you back? Call 856.579.7201 to schedule your appointment today!

Is Your

Neck Pain

Caused By

There is one more factor that often is not spoken about, but it’s a frequent cause of neck pain and discomfort: sleeping issues. Sometimes, sleeping in a certain position or sleeping on a mattress or pillow that is too soft or too hard will lead to neck pain. Oftentimes, this pain will appear to be chronic, as the sleeping issue is likely something that you experience day after day, causing the pain to return regularly. It may be helpful to rule out sleeping concerns as a reason behind your neck pain by assessing your sleeping conditions and making any changes that you think may be necessary. Adjust howmany pillows you sleep on, the position you sleep in or even your mattress! If you are looking for relief from neck pain due to sleeping issues or other condition or injury, contact your physical therapist at Doctor Physical Therapy by calling 856.579.7201 and schedule your appointment today! Sleep Issues? • Ifkneelingonbothkneescausesdiscomfort inyourback,trykneeling on one and keep the other foot on the ground. Use knee pads or a gardening pad when kneeling. • If kneeling or leaning down to the ground causes significant pain in your back or knees, consider using elevated planters to do your gardening. • Avoid bending your wrist upwards when pulling things or using gardening tools. Instead, keep your wrist straight and use your shoulder muscles to pull and lift. • End your gardening session with some gentle backward bending of your lowback,ashortwalkand lightstretching,similartostretches done before starting.

Avoiding Aches & Injury While Gardening Common gardening activities, such as digging, planting, weeding, mulching,andrakingcancausestressandstrainonmusclesand joints. This is especially true for senior citizens and people who are normally sedentary.Differentbodyareassuchastheshoulders,neck,back,and knees can be vulnerable to injury during gardening.

These tips can help prevent injuries: • Warm up before you garden. A 10 minute brisk walk and stretches for the spine and limbs are good ways to warm up. • Change positions frequently to avoid stiffness or cramping. • Make use of a garden cart or wheelbarrow to move heavy planting materials or tools. Be sure to keep your back straight while using a wheelbarrow.

Call Doctor Physical Therapy at 856.579.7201 , or visit our website at www.drptnj.com to schedule your appointment today!

DOCTOR Physical Therapy

Patient Success Spotlight

“Dr. Monica Scott is extremely friendly, knowledgeable and helps you reachyourpersonalgoals forphysicaltherapy.Sheexplainswhatshe is doingandwhyshe isdoing itandmakes iteasy tounderstandwithout using all of that medical jargon. She shows that she does ultimately care for you and your injury and wants to see you improve and move on from physical therapy quickly, yet safely. I was pretty bummed out when I hurt my neck/shoulder and had to go toPhysicalTherapy.However,Dr.Scotthadsuchapositiveoutlook on my injury and helped me understand that this was just a brief pause in my workout journey, not an ending. She was so uplifting and knowledgeable and was able to provide stretches and exercise modifications to help me not lose the muscle I had already built. She understoodmyneedsandgoalsandcontinuouslychecked in tomake sure that I was still able to work towards them, even though I was dealing with this injury. I’ve been to other physical therapists before where I felt like “just another patient with a shoulder injury.” Here at Doctor Physical Therapy, Dr. Scott and Suzanne make you feel like old friends, and they’re both very easy to talk to and are genuinely concerned for you and your injury. They are both rooting for you to get back on your way torecovery. I felt likemyconcernsandquestionswere listened toand met with a genuine answer. Highly recommended!” - Jillian K.

Healthy Recipe Blackened Chicken With Avocado Sauce

INGREDIENTS • 4 (4 oz) chicken breasts • 2 tbsp blackened seasoning • ½ cup plain, Greek yogurt • ½ avocado

• 1 tsp lemon juice • ½ tsp garlic powder • ½ tsp salt • 2 tbsp green onions, sliced

DIRECTIONS Place the chicken breasts and blackened seasoning in a large resealable bag. Seal and shake a few times to evenly coat the chicken. Lightly coat a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until cooked through, 4-6 minutes per side. Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the yogurt, avocado, lemon juice, garlic powder, and salt and pulse until smooth and creamy. To serve, top each chicken breast with 2 tablespoons of the creamy avocado sauce and garnish with ½ tablespoon green onions.

Exercise Essentials Helps Relieve Neck Pain

SPECIAL OFFER!

FREE BACK PAIN CONSULTATION!

Exercisescopyrightof

Cervical Retraction Stand with your back against a wall. Tuck your chin in like you are nodding ‘yes,’ then draw your chin closer to the back of your throat. Repeat 10 times.

Redeem this offer by calling Doctor Physical Therapy at 856-579-7201 and mention this coupon when you’re scheduling!

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This offer expires May 30, 2019.

Alwaysconsult yourphysical therapistorphysicianbeforestartingexercises youareunsureofdoing.