Neck Pain

Neck pain has many sources. Some patients have pain because of their posture. Some patients have pain because of their sleeping position. Some patients have pain because of trauma such as a fall or an accident. Once you have been cleared by your physician physical therapy can be a great help.

Some of Ria’s treatments include gentle traction where you lie on your back and the back of your head is cradled. Then slowly the therapist pumps air into the traction device, which then gradually glides the head slightly away from the shoulders. This technique allows the muscles of the neck to lengthen and stretch, while making a tiny amount of space between the vertebrae of the neck.

Under no circumstances should the old-fashioned traction devices be used, especially the kind that hold the head from the jaw in a harness, because trauma to the temporomandibular joint, or “TMJ” is more likely.

A chief cause of neck pain is slouching posture, which puts the head ahead of the trunk. Since the head weighs 10 pounds, the neck has to work very hard to support the head. With postural re-training, patients learn how to put the head over the shoulders, so the weight of the head is no longer putting a strain on the neck and upper back.

Manual physical therapy for neck pain

You and your neck deserve to feel better!