Neck Pain

A neck muscle strain occurs when you overstretch your neck muscles. Neck muscle strains are often due to traumas like sports injuries, or car accidents or are due to repetitive stress injuries (i.e. turning your head repeatedly while swimming).

Whiplash is a type of sprain/strain injury caused with the head to whips rapidly back and forth resulting in injury to the soft tissues in the back of the neck. A sprain occurs when you overstretch the ligaments whereas a strain occurs when you overstretch muscles.

The most common cause of whiplash injuries is an automobile accident, a high-impact sports collision, or from a slip/fall type accident.

The best way to be 100% sure of why you are experiencing neck pain is to request an appointment with our physical therapist in Dorchester, Easton, Hanover, Hingham, Mansfield, Milton, Needham, North Attleboro or South Boston.

The discs are specialized tissue between two vertebrae (i.e., spine bones). The discs help direct our spines’ movement and absorb forces and protect the bones from injury.

The discs are particularly vulnerable to injury from bending and twisting movements, primarily when associated with sudden movements from accidents and falls. The disc is also susceptible to prolonged postures related to sitting or lying in with your head in an awkward position.

Injury to the discs can cause significant pain in the back and lead to a more serious condition known as radiculopathy (i.e., nerve pain) in your arm, forearm and hand.

If you have a herniated disc in your neck, the nerves that branch out from your spinal cord may be pinched or irritated and inflamed at the place where the nerves exit the spine.

The good news is that physical therapy at our Dorchester, Easton, Hanover, Hingham, Mansfield, Milton, Needham, North Attleboro or South Boston clinic can help you if you struggle with pain associated with disc problems.

The neck joints can deteriorate with age, causing pain like any other joint. Degenerative disc disease is another common cause of neck pain most commonly associated with aging. Smoking, certain medications, and injury can also lead to degenerative changes.

Pain associated with degenerative disc disease often presents with changes to mobility. It is commonly felt when turning to look over your shoulder while driving or looking up at the stars in the sky.

People often describe a dull, painful neck ache that worsens with holding the head up or turning in one direction for lengthy periods.

Regardless of the cause of your neck pain, our Elliott Physical Therapy physical therapists can help get to the root of your problem and, more importantly, give you the tools to resolve your pain!

Certain diseases and illnesses can result in neck pain, such as rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, and meningitis.

Another cause of neck pain is prolonged positions without proper support or ergonomic setup.

Our spines are designed to move. One of the most common causes of neck pain is prolonged positions. Our modern society is far more sedentary than past generations, and the incidence of neck and upper back pain continues to grow, especially while working on a computer.

Neck pain caused by prolonged positions is commonly associated with prolonged activities like sitting and lying with your head in an awkward position. Something as simple as sitting at your desk all day with your neck craned toward the computer screen can cause your neck muscles to become strained by overuse.

These sustained positions can irritate the tissues, cause pain, affect motion, and over time lead to inflammation or injury.