Neck Pain Guide

What's causing my pain?

NY Rehab sees patients every day who have suffered trauma in car accidents or sports injuries, or are tormented by degenerative disc diseases, muscle strains or bone and joint difficulties. What's the one symptom they all have in common? Severe neck pain and stiffness. We consider it to be one of the most debilitating injuries, because when you can't move your neck, you can't hug your children, lead an active life, go to the movies, or do many of the other things that make life enjoyable.

So what really causes neck pain? Generally what it boils down to is either a traumatic injury that knocks a bone, muscle or joint out of alignment and causes a litany of other problems that include neck pain. It could also be what I like to call "bad life policy," which means something you do every day that, while you might not even realize it, is causing your chronic neck pain.

A few of the common causes are listed above: car accidents, sports injuries, degenerative disc diseases, muscle strains, bone and joint complications; but it goes far beyond that. Poor posture, a bad pillow, emotional stress, rough housing, bad form while lifting weights or exercising: any one of these could also cause acute or chronic neck pain and make your life difficult.

What types of treatments are right for me?

At NY Rehab we know that no two people are the same, and that to help each person find the path to a pain-free life, we need to individualize each treatment so that it is best suited for each patient's individual problems. Below are a few common treatments offered at NY Rehab that neck pain sufferers have traditionally used to find relief. In any treatment plan, especially those including a mixture of the treatments listed below, the most important thing is that no incision, surgery, or anesthesia is necessary. Wellness is achieved through a firm and deeply-rooted understanding of the forces that make a body tick, and a consultative approach that involves many different types of treatment.

Physical therapy - This is the most common form of treatment for neck pain, and generally involves one-on-one work with a physical therapist. The purpose is to, through exercise, stretching, and proper body maintenance, restore maximum movement and functional ability to any part of the body which is not functioning at its full potential. Physical therapy at NY Rehab usually involves elements of clinical care, as well as a home fitness plan to ensure that patients are prepared to maintain their improvements. NY Rehab patients use top-of-the-line Cybex rehab equipment during treatment sessions.

Massage therapy - Massage has shown to be very effective in reducing the pain and inflammation associated with bulging and herniated discs. This treatment is a hands-on approach that targets muscle spasms and inflamed tissues and joints. Our massage therapists are trained in the most effective methods of finding and soothing sore muscles. Intensity levels during a massage may vary based on needs of patient and what is needed effectively treat the problem.

Chiropractic - NY Rehab Doctors of Chiropractic care focus on detecting and treating disorders, also known as subluxations, of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. They treat neck pain by administering adjustments, or gentle thrusts, to patients' spinal misalignments to eliminate the complications that cause pain and discomfort. Most often, chiropractors deal with neck pain, , joint pain, and headaches, but they also can apply their expertise in dealing with a wide variety of bodily mechanical ailments.

Spinal Decompression - Many neck pain problems originate with slipped, bulging, or herniated discs in the back. At NY Rehab's Manhattan and Astoria locations spinal decompression treatment is administered by equipment which gently removes pressure on the spine to allow herniated discs the necessary space to re-align with the spine. The treatment releases the pressure placed on nerves in the neck by the offending slipped cervical disc(s). It is a comfortable process that is highly adaptable to the differing body types of each patient.

Injections for Pain - Being able to move and function pain free is often the most difficult thing to accomplish when you have neck pain. Targeted injections provide few potential side effects and no possibility of dependence. The team at NY Rehab has the knowledge and training to reduce your pain and increase your daily activity levels. Injections can be extremely helpful when administered in conjunction with chiropractic or physical therapy.

NY Rehab, Pain Management and Medical Services, P.C., offers treatment for neck pain at our three locations around New York.