top of page
FHWC logo

Understanding Neck Pain

neck pain flinders

About neck pain treatment

How we Manage Neck Pain

Neck pain is one of the most common reasons people seek care at Flinders Health and Wellness Clinic. Most people will experience neck pain at some point in their lives, whether following a sudden movement, prolonged desk work, increased stress, poor sleep or age-related changes such as arthritis. While neck pain can be frustrating and disruptive, many uncomplicated neck complaints can be managed effectively with the right support, education and movement strategies.

Our approach is to:

  1. Screen your type of neck pain - whether it's new or ongoing and gather further information about when it comes on, how long it lasts and whether there are any additional symptoms you experience such as headaches or jaw pain

  2. Identify factors that may be contributing to your pain

  3. Assess your neck, thoracic spine, jaw, scapula or posture depending on your symptoms

  4. Treat and gather information from you whether techniques seem to help, aggravate or relief your pain

  5. Evaluate which ergonomic, stretching or self management tools may be effective

  6. Re-evaluate whether treatment is helping you and whether you are best seeking further specialist review

Neck pain

Common Types
Of Neck Pain

Sudden onset neck pain

Sudden onset neck pain is typically felt after a bad night of sleep, maybe a jolting event such as being dumped in the surf or following a fall and commonly involves a combination of inflammation to the neck itself as well as muscle tension and guarding to protect the neck. 

Common causes for acute neck pain can include:

  • Whiplash

  • Disc injuries 

  • Falls 

  • Overloading joints - e.g. new gym program, increasing swimming training or periods of heavy lifting or unaccustomed neck movements like moving house or painting your ceiling

  • Muscle strains or guarding

​

​

​

Chronic and Postural Pain

Chronic or persistent pain, is where the complaint has been present for a longer duration and can involve a different approach to management. Chronic pain is a complex process, while there can be an underlying issue involved - sometimes the nervous system and muscles can become too protective. In these cases, a slow graded approach to management with a focus on building confidence and resilience to movement is needed.

We also recognise that there can often be other processes occurring such as arthritis or degeneration of discs or joints. Our focus is to give you support that will assist you, so in cases whether you would benefit more from additional allied health or pain management input we will inform you. 

neck pain alongside headaches or jaw pain

Neck pain is often experienced in conjunction with issues in other areas. It can be common for us to see adaptive movement patterns from issues of the shoulder, jaw as well as the mid back. 

This can result from nerves of the neck being compressed causing referral into the back of the scalp or forehead. 

Sometimes the jaw itself can be influencing neck pain, therefore in cases where you are experiencing clicking, grinding, locking or pain in the jaw your neck can be impacted. 

neck k-tape

Potential causes for neck pain

Common Causes for Neck Pain

Common causes or drivers to neck pain that can be assessed and modified are:

  1. Weakness of the deep neck musculature or shoulder stabilising muscles

  2. Ergonomic factors such as:

    1. Phone use​

    2. Desk posture

    3. Repeatitive overloading from looking down or up

    4. Lifting heavy objects without adequate strength

    5. Staying in one position too long

  3. Jaw tension from grinding or prior dental issues

  4. When your nerves that signal pain are easily sensitised or quick to react. Often a common issue when you have had a long history of neck pain. The nerves can adapt over time and what may be a light pressure or 'stimulus' becomes interpreted as pain. 

  5. Changes in the muscle, disc or joint structures over time. 

  6. Instability of the neck. 

HOW WE MANAGE YOUR COMPLAINT

How We Support Neck Pain 

Screening And Assessment

We thoroughly screen neck complaints focusing on the potential cause of the onset of pain or your injury, movements that make it worse as well as positions which make the symptoms improve. We will also inform you if further medical referral is more appropriate for your injury. 

We try to understand and give you space to explain your symptoms and what goals you have to work towards. 

Manual Therapy Support

There is often times where manual therapy can be useful. We use manual therapy as a tool to assist you in managing the tightness and stiffness that may be contributing to your symptoms. 

We can use techniques such as traction, soft tissue massage, dry needling as well as muscle energy technique and mobilisation where appropriate. 

Education and Exercises

We aim to give you tools to manage your symptoms. Obviously in acute complaints this can be a faster recovery timeframe. Where the complaint is more persistent or has been chronic, then we may require a longer duration of treatment. 

Our focus is on advice, guidance and prevention of flare ups. 

Exercises will depend on the underlying drivers of your symptoms, but can often involve improving mobility, posture support, breathing techniques as well as stability of the neck and scapula musculature. 

Doctor Measuring Pressure

When to seek medical attention first

important reasons to visit your doctor for neck pain

Sometimes neck pain does require GP or medial assessment. The list below includes reasons to see the GP or seek further medical attention for neck pain first. 

  1. When you have any weakness of muscles to the face - if you notice that you have difficulty speaking, have any weakness of the tongue, muscles of the face, moving your eyes or have weakness of the arms or legs. 

  2. If you have issues with balance - if you are finding it hard to walk, have a new onset of vertigo or dizziness. 

  3. If you have had a severe neck trauma - if you have had a fall, are on blood thinning medications, have knocked your head. 

  4. If you have been experiencing any shortness of breath as well as neck pain

  5. If you have any dizziness, seeing black spots, have abnormal vision or nausea that worsens when you move your neck

  6. If you notice any rashes along-side your neck pain, whether it's over your body or along a strip - this can indicate other infections or causes for neck pain. 

  7. If your pain wakes you in the night, isn't improved by changing the position of your neck and came on suddenly without a cause. 

Blog posts: Neck Pain

Blog Posts on Neck Pain 

bottom of page