SoCal Aquatic PT: Neck Pain and Stress

SoCal Aquatic PT: Neck Pain and Stress

Health &Wellness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

Southern California Aquatic and Physical Therapy

RELIEVING NECK PAIN & HEADACHES Look Forward To A Happy &Pain Free Life!

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. (continued inside)

No Doctor Referral Necessary Whether you want to come in for a check-up, suffered a recent injury or you want to improve your health, a doctor referral is not needed. In the state of California you have direct access to physical therapy!

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Health & Wellness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

Southern California Aquatic and Physical Therapy

RELIEVING NECK PAIN & HEADACHES Look Forward To A Happy &Pain Free Life!

(continued from outside)

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 oftencausedbyactivity,differentactivitycancure 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 our office 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 mobility 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/

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FOCUS ON NECK PAIN TO RELIEVE HEADACHES 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.

Therearewellmappedoutpatternsofheadaches thatcome from thedifferent 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, 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 Southern California Aquatic and 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!

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Health Recipe: Salmon Burgers

• 1 cup red onion • 1/4 cup fresh basil • 1/4 tsp salt

4 Easy Tricks To Relieve A Headache

• 1/4 tsp black pepper • 1 pound salmon fillet • 1 tbsp hot pepper sauce • 1 large egg white • Cooking spray • 8 slices focaccia, toasted

1. Regular exercise. Migraine patients are at a slightly increased risk of stroke, and lack of exercise is a risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. Regular exercise can help reduce these risks. 2. Adequate sleep. Getting enough sleep regulary is part of proper migraine maintenance that should bepracticed tokeepyourheadaches to a minimum. Sleep also includes darkness. Light, especially bright light, can cause an increase in your migraine headache symptoms.

3. Balanced diet. Eating regular meals, avoiding foods that trigger headaches, and staying hydrated will also help reduce the pain and frequency of headaches. 4. Work on improving your posture. Keep your shoulders back, and have your head in a neutral position at all times. Always avoid standing or sitting in a hunched over position. This technique will help prevent headaches most frequently in a work environment.

INSTRUCTIONS Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine hot pepper sauce and egg white in a small bowl; add egg white mixture to salmon mixture, stirring well to combine. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium- high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add salmon patties, and cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Serve patties on toasted focaccia.

Patient Success Spotlight

Manual Therapy

“IbegantherapytreatmentwithSouthernCaliforniaAquaticandPhysical Therapy following more than a year of severe chronic foot pain. After being incorrectly treated by 7+ doctors, I eventually did receive the needed repairs to my foot (in Baltimore!). But I still could not walk, had serious pain, and had lost 25 lbs. (mostly muscle weight). Physical Therapywasnextand Iwas indeedveryneedywhen IbeganatSouthern California Aquatic and Physical Therapy. The staff is outstanding, the environment is positive, caring, safe and encouraging. The excellent, expert treatment by Julie Bergmann and her staff restored my life to me. Julie’s staff is highly trained and with careful attention to detail guided me through a miraculously successful recovery. Their expert treatment includes a level of compassion and patient interest that is seldom ifeverequaled in themedicalcommunity. Icouldnothavedone better than Southern California Aquatic and Physical Therapy!!!” -M.F . ...Their expert treatment includes a level of compassion and patient interest that is seldom if ever equaled in the medical community.

How can manual therapy help me? If you are experiencing increased pain and stiffening in any of your joints and muscles, manual therapy is often helpful. Patients seek out this type of physical therapy for a variety of mobility issues. For example, you may be finding it difficult to get up from a sitting or lying position, as well as bending over, without back pain and stiffness. You may also find that your neck or shoulders “freeze” and give you pain when you pursue everyday actions such as reaching for items or driving. In fact, debilitating pain and stiffness in muscles and joints can happen virtually anywhere on your body. What kinds of manual therapy exist? Manual therapy is the hands-on component of physical therapy, but there areseveraldifferentsub-categorieswithin thepracticeofmanual therapy. Each has its own benefits, depending on what the underlying problem is. Among the most widely used are: Soft Tissue Mobilization. Soft tissue mobilization focuses on muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Often if a patient hasn’t had a chance to use a set of muscles due to illness, or has been injured in that area, the tissues can become scarred, and robbed of the precious fluids that promote flexibility. Soft tissue mobilization focuses on limbering up these damaged areas while promoting overall wellness. Joint Mobilization. A “restricted joint” issue often occurs after an injury, such as falling and twisting your back or wrenching your shoulder.The injury to the joint leads tomuscle spasms and restricted movement. A skilled physical therapist practices joint mobilization movements, such as a “glide and slide” of opposing bones, in order to get the joints working properly again. NeuromuscularTechniques. At times,muscleswork themselves into abnormal states, in which the muscle’s stretch reflex has difficulty relaxing. To treat this, physical therapists use a variety of techniques including manual resistance to guide problematic muscles into more normal muscle pattern movements. Staying in this position of slight tension helps relieve the spasms by gently pulling the muscles into the opposite direction of the reflex spasms. Where can I get manual therapy for my pain and stiffness? Our expert physical therapists are highly qualified to practice manual therapy. With years of specialized training, we provide gentle, hands-on therapies that address a broad range of muscle and joint conditions and injuries. This includes soft tissue mobilization, joint mobilization, and neuromuscular techniques to help you feel better. Call us today at Huntington Beach, CA Center to schedule an appointment!

Relieve Neck Pain In Minutes Try this movement if you are experiencing neck pain.

Stretches Neck

www.simpleset.net

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

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