Next Step PT: Neck Pain and Stress

Next Step PT: Neck Pain and Stress

NEWSLETTER The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

PT BY DAY COACH AND PARENT BY NIGHT

As many of you know, I am the lucky father of two children. Both Ryan (9) and Ella (6) are obviously very important to me and while I tend to spend a lot of time at work—helping you guys out—I try very hard to find some quality time with the kids as often as I can. One of the ways that we do that is by me being involved in their sporting activities. In other words, I try to be their coach or assistant coach for whatever sport they are currently playing. It’s a win-win for everyone because I get to spend time with my kids and I get to stay involved in sports - which I love to do. Between soccer, baseball, and hockey we keep busy together. However, it’s not always easy to be the coach of your kids. Some of you can probably relate to this, as I try very hard not to show favoritism towards my kids. It can be difficult because sometimes you end up being too hard on your kids as a result. Answering questions like “why do I have to sit out first” or “why can’t I bat

cleanup,” can be difficult to answer when if I was just a spectator I would naturally want my kids to bat cleanup and not sit out at all. The other part of coaching that can be difficult for me is to remember that you don’t always have to win. I’ve always been competitive. I like to win - regardless of what I’m doing. Guilty as charged. No, I don’t get into fights with other parents or make my players cry because I’mmean (no really I promise I don’t), but every once in a while I have to tell myself that I’m coaching a bunch of 6-year old girls and not the Olympic national team. Sometimes I also realize I’m in a grumpy mood later that day and I can trace it back to us losing earlier that day. In any case, the important part is that my kids love it when I’m their coach and as long as that continues to be the case I will continue to coach. For any of you who are thinking about coaching or maybe even just helping out a little at practice (BTW grandmas are allowed to help too - we’ve used several) I would strongly encourage you to try it. The smiles on all the kids faces make it totally worth it.

INSIDE : • Is Stress Causing Your Neck Pain?

• Patient Success Spotlight • What’s New?

• Focus On Neck Pain To Relieve Headaches

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NEWSLETTER The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body IS STRESS CAUSING YOUR NECK PAIN?

Does your neck hurt? You might be suffering from stress-related pain — also called a tension headache. During anxiety, muscles tense up. As muscle tension tightens, the back, shoulders and neck are affected. The more pressure they cause, the more discomfort you get. Let’s take a closer look at stress-related neck pain. Is My Neck Pain Caused by Stress? Pain worsened by keeping your head in one place — like when you’re driving, or using a computer — is neck pain. While neck pain has a slew of symptoms, its major symptoms, reported by Mayo Clinic, are: · Muscle tightness and spasms · Headache · Decreased ability to move the head Stress-induced neck pain isn’t rare. It also isn’t psychological. Many experts think stress-induced neck pain is caused by physical factors — low, but constant, trapezius muscle activity. If your neck pain starts at the base of your shoulders, traveling upward, it may be stress related. Causes of Stress-Related Neck Pain While stress alone can trigger neck pain, a few factors can make it worse. Office environments tend to create neck pain problems — as they confine people to chairs, bad posture and little mobility. Driving often, too, can make your chances of stress-related neck pain higher. The U.S. National Library of Medicine suggests contacting a professional if you’re experiencing neck pain. Even if it’s caused by stress, untreated neck pain might later reveal muscle spasms, arthritis, bulging discs or even narrowed spinal nerve openings. How Physical Therapy Can Help My Neck Pain Neck pain, fortunately, can be alleviated with physical therapy. Because neck pain is often caused by activity, different activity can cure it. Sometimes, this “activity” means “no activity.” Before you contact a professional, try reducing your neck movements. Sometimes, simply letting your neck muscles relax is enough.

If you don’t see relief within two weeks, contact a professional. Physical therapists can target your pain’s source by examining your symptoms. Then, they can offer exercises that stress, flex and relax your neck muscles. In time, your neck will become more resilient — giving you the comfort you deserve. Where after-care treatment is considered, custom-tailored neck exercises will assure your neck stays loose, limber and healthy. If you’re dealing with neck pain, you’re not alone. Call Next Step Physical Therapy today, and schedule an assessment. Even if your neck pain is caused by stress, it still needs attention. We’ll work side by side with your goals, creating the proactive, effective programs you need to achieve a full range of motion once more.

https://www.spine-health.com/blog/how-relieve-neck-pain-caused-stress https://www.everydayhealth.com/neck-pain/neck-pain-reduce-stress.aspx https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMHT0027055/

SERVICES & THERAPIES :

• Wrist / Hand Pain • Wellness / Balance Problems • Ankle / Foot Pain

• Knee Pain • Sports Injuries • Shoulder Pain

• Physical Therapy • Low Back Pain • Neck Pain

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Focus On Neck Pain To Relieve Headaches

Do you have pain in your head and neck? Do you have trouble turning or tilting your head? Are your day to day activities hindered by headache pain?

1. Stand with your back against a wall. 2. Position a rolled up towel behind your neck. 3.Tuck chin like you are nodding ‘yes’. 4. Draw your chin closer to the back of your throat. 5. Repeat 3-5 times.

disc problems, arthritis, muscular stress and even prior surgeries, the wear and tear on this critical region of your body can prove too much, resulting in pain. It is also possible that you may develop a narrowing of the spinal canal itself. Since the spinal cord runs through the spine, a narrowing of the canal or where the nerves exit, can lead to a condition called spinal stenosis. There is much that can be done to treat neck pain and headaches. Our expert physical therapists have years of experience helping people with neck pain and headaches. By finding the root cause of your neck pain and headaches we can relieve your pain quickly, reduce the need for medication and get you back to the activities you enjoy. Discover how our team of specialists at Next Step Physical Therapy can eliminate your neck pain and headaches allowing you to live a happy, active and pain-free life. Call today for more details!

The neck can be a hidden and debilitating source of headaches. Very often neck pain and headaches go hand-in-hand, leading to a miserable time coping with everyday activities. According to the National Institute of Health Statistics neck pain and headaches are the second most common form of pain experienced by Americans, with 59% reporting it affected their enjoyment of life. Some headaches are often grouped under the term “cervicogenic headache” meaning that the primary source is from the neck. There are well mapped out patterns of headaches that come from the different parts of the neck, shoulder and upper back areas. The discs between your bones (vertebrae) and joints in the upper neck often contribute to headaches. Even headaches located in the forehead or behind the eyes are often referred pains stemming from problem areas in the neck and base of the skull. The joints connecting the top three vertebral levels of the neck handle almost 50% of the total motion of the entire neck. This means they absorb a lot of repetitive strain. These joints bear the main load of the weight of the head (about that of a bowling ball). With fatigue, poor posture, injuries,

- Chris Ostling PT, DPT

You can take various steps to relieve pain, such as heat and cold therapy, or pain relievers, making it easier for you to exercise and stay active. If pain persists, your next step is to see what is causing the pain and call us to schedule an appointment. Next Step Physical Therapy can help you relieve your neck pain and headaches. I’ve attached a FREE Screening coupon to this newsletter…

CALL TODAY! (516) 681-8070

Patient Success Spotlight

What’s New?

Fall is here! We’ve been busy as usual, doing our best to help people each and every day. Last month’s article on stenosis ended up being pretty popular - as we had a lot of people use their free screening coupon to come in and see if they had stenosis. I think you’ll like this month’s article on neck pain. If you’re having neck pain - use the coupon. You may have noticed that we have a lot more staff - new faces and names. We’re very excited for you to meet them if you haven’t already. They fit right in with our patient first, love to help people attitude! And finally you might have noticed some of the redecorating that we did in the back. Some new paint, carpet, and knocking down a wall has given our hallway a nice face lift. So like I said, we’ve been busy. Talk to you soon! - Chris Ostling

I recommend Chris and the entire staff to anyone with knee pain! “Before I came to Next Step physical Therapy I was having neck and shoulder pain with very bad tension headaches. After my treatment I am completely pain free during work and at home. Great experience and many thanks!” -Hui W.

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