Waking up with a stiff neck or struggling through the day with persistent neck pain can be incredibly frustrating, not to mention disruptive to your daily schedule. If you can’t even turn your head without wincing in pain, even simple tasks like driving to the grocery store become monumental hurdles. Naturally, the best way to...
Neck pain is a common condition affecting up to 80% of the population at some point in their lives. Unfortunately, without treatment neck pain can become recurrent in nature. In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics we treat neck pain with a combination of manual therapy, exercise, and education. Treatment by Physical...
Neck pain is one of the most common reasons Americans seek care from their primary care physician and Physical Therapist. In our Boulder Physical Therapy and Lafayette Physical Therapy clinics we commonly treat neck pain through manual therapy, patient education, and high level exercise. Current medical research supports the utilization of manual therapy, including spinal...
Our neck plays an important role in our ability to balance and maintain equilibrium within our environment. This region of the spine has a high density of sensors called proprioceptors which provide immediate feedback to our spinal cord and brain regarding our body position in space. In some patients with neck pain this system can...
We have seen countless cases in our Boulder and Lafayette physical therapy offices of clients presenting with reports of a “knot” next to their shoulder blade that in many cases has often been massaged, needled, scraped or mashed to death with no lasting relief of symptoms. Scapular or shoulder blade pain is a classic sign...
Neck pain is a common condition coming in just behind Low Back Pain in prevalence presenting to primary care physician and Physical Therapy practices. Neck pain is most effectively treated with a combination of manual therapy, including joint mobilization and spinal manipulation, as well as, mobility and strengthening exercises. Consistent with our musculoskeletal diagnoses manual...
A significant portion of musculoskeletal pain can be attributed to our muscles themselves. Many authors have described persistent muscular pain (myalgia), but Janet Travell and David Simon’s work on trigger points is most frequently referenced. These irritable, sensitive bands (knots) within a muscle are frequent targets of lacrosse balls, soft tissue workers, and Physical Therapy...
Up to 70% of Americans will experience Neck pain in their life times. Despite its’ high incidence this region of the spine is consistently under exercised by clinicians. There are countless passive temporary remedies for neck pain including massage, spinal manipulation, and dry needling, but only high level exercise has been shown to improve the...
Neck pain remains one of the constants in life along with death, taxes, and low back pain. Thankfully, similar to low back pain, the vast majority of neck pain (although painful) is not serious in nature. Prior research has shown a Physical Therapy treatment program consisting of manual therapy and exercise helps accelerate a patient’s...
The muscles of the neck are responsible for movements of the head and shoulder blade, as well as, stabilization of the head on the neck during daily activities. These muscles must be capable of both low repetition, high force contractions as well as high repetition, low force contractions to accomplish these tasks. Patient’s with neck...