By: Ian Nay, PT, DPT, OCS If you suffer from frequent headaches, you’re not alone. Millions of people experience tension headaches, migraines, or cervicogenic headaches (those that originate from neck problems). While many reach for over-the-counter painkillers for temporary relief, few realize that physical therapy can offer a lasting, drug-free solution. Here’s how working with...
Headaches are a universal experience, affecting millions worldwide. They come in various forms, from the dull ache of a tension headache to the debilitating throbs of a migraine. Sadly, these painful episodes significantly disrupt daily life, causing missed work, reduced productivity, and emotional distress. While medication delivers temporary relief, many seek long-term solutions. Fortunately, physical...
Neck pain will affect up to 70% of the population at some point in their lifetimes. Thankfully the vast majority of these cases are not serious in nature and will improve with conservative treatments including Physical Therapy. Within Physical Therapy, a manual therapy (mobilization and manipulation) and strengthening exercise approach has been shown to be...
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...
Arm pain referred from the cervical spine (cervical radiculopathy) often is the result of nerve root compression by either bone or soft tissue in the bony canals of the neck. These canals protect the nerve roots as they exit from the spinal cord, but can also compress these neural structures leading to pain, numbness, pins and...
70% of Americans will experience neck pain symptoms within their lifetimes. The vast majority of these symptoms are secondary to the musculoskeletal system and effectively treated by Physical Therapists. Patient’s who experience multiple episodes of neck pain or have experienced symptoms for a longer duration (> 3 months) often present with weakness in the cervical...
Neck Pain Background Information Neck pain affects 10-15% of the population at any one time, with a lifetime incidence of 22-70% (1). Only 6% of patients with neck pain report resolution of symptoms at one year (2). A recent systematic review demonstrated the prognosis from idiopathic neck pain is poor (3) and 50-75% of patients with neck...
Lateral Elbow Pain and Lateral Epicondylalgia Lateral epicondylalgia, also known as tennis elbow, is an overuse injury involving the common origin tendon of the wrist and finger extensors. Patients with this condition often report pain in the lateral elbow exacerbated by gripping, lifting, or manipu- lating objects with their hands. Previously thought to be a...
Aging occurs in all of our body systems including the spine. Similar to wrinkles and grey hair, the spine will demonstrate age related changes including disk bulges, herniations, facet and ligament changes, as well as, degeneration around age 30. Interestingly, we find a high percentage of these changes in people with and without neck pain. Thus,...
