Do you suffer from neck pain that makes you cringe when you have to look up or over your shoulder. The kind that makes driving or reading misery? Have you been told that your neck is full of arthritis and you are scared to even turn your head? You are not alone, in fact neck pain is one of the most common issues we treat at Body Mechanix Physiotherapy. It may be in the form of migraines that come from the neck, jaw pain and TMJ also coming from the neck or even shoulder, arm, or hand pain. What do they have in common? Often they come from the neck having poor posture (often it is unable to be in a good posture because of pain or weakness) that causes the muscles and joints on the back side of the neck to get stiff and sore and develop knots that are known as trigger points. You might have had a massage, used a lacrosse ball, or a theragun to try to get those trigger points or stiff neck to ease up but often it comes back. Most of the time we hope that we'll wake up and it will magically go away. Then when we do go see somebody, it is usually our family doctor who will tell us to rest and take pain medicine. Unfortunately both of these don't get at the causes of neck pain and often delay our recovery back to the active life we want and deserve. Usually while we're resting, which, by the way, is one of the worst things you can do for joint pain, your supporting muscles are getting weaker while your joint is not getting the lubrication it needs that happens when you are active. But, there's a catch.
Why exercise is often not enough to prevent debilitating neck pain when looking over shoulder, looking down, or up or to prevent headaches, shoulder, or arm pain
Often when we are told to exercise for neck pain, we are usually given a sheet of exercises like stretching our neck to the side, then taking it to the other side. Maybe we'll be given a stretchy band exercise doing the same movements. The problem is that these exercises often don't treat the pain and also don't get at the root of the problem which is often that we have to improve the mobility of the neck while reducing the pain BEFORE we get to any strengthening. And when we do get to strengthening, we have to do exercises that fix the foundation of why we started to hurt in the first place.
But even before we do mobility for the neck, we have to make sure that our neck pain isn't pain from elsewhere in disguise(sometimes coming from the upper back).
What is Dry Needling and how can it help neck arthritis or if I’m bone on bone?
Dry needling is a treatment where Dry Needling certified Physiotherapists use acupuncture needles at specific points around the neck, upper back, and shoulders(usually where you feel the most pain or stiffness) to stimulate healing, reduce pain and stiffness, and decrease some of the most common causes of neck pain including trigger points. It works by reducing some of the main drivers of pain, especially sensitive nerves around the neck, tight tendons, ligaments, and fascia. If your pain is coming from elsewhere, we will often use the acupuncture needles to treat the foundational issues that are leading to more stress and pain at the neck. Schedule Free Dry Needling Consult with one of our Certified Doctors of Physiotherapy
Is it Safe
Yes, dry needling is used everyday and does not have the nasty side effects of opioids, doesn't weaken the neck joint like steroid shots, and often doesn't need to be done for years on end like injections. Often the only things somebody notices is some soreness from the muscles that were treated. We also supercharge out treatments by using electrical stimulation to your sore spots so you can feel improvement, often immediately.
Can I just have you do dry needling?
Dry needling works best when we do it with simple stretches and foundation fixing strength exercises that you can do with minimal equipment at home. At Body Mechanix, we teach you how to keep the healing going while you are in between treatments and is part of a holistic plan of care to treat the whole you.
How do I know if it is right for me?
Find out if this is the right treatment option for you for absolutely free by scheduling a no-cost dry needling consultation with one of our dry needling certified Doctors of physiotherapy. These are in limited supply and are on a first come first served basis.
Do I need a prescription?
No, in Florida you do not need a prescription to start.
What if I have more questions?
One of our Dry Needling Certified Doctors of Physiotherapy would be happy to answer any questions you may have-and they'll do it at absolutely no cost to you. Claim your Free Dry Needling Consultation here. In the notes, tell them that you have dry needling questions.
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