Neck Pain & Treatments

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Neck pain is common in people of all ages and is often caused by how you use your neck. Working all day bent over a computer, driving long distances or poor posture while standing or sitting at work as well as stress and tiredness are all factors that can cause the muscles in your neck and upper back to become tight and the joints to become stiff which can contribute to your neck pain.

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Sometimes  a nerve in your neck can become irritated or “trapped”  and cause pain in the arm going down into your shoulder or the hand and may be accompanied by pins and needles and numbness. Some headaches can also be the result of tension or stiffness in the neck and upper back. Osteoarthritis or age-related wear and tear in your neck can also cause muscular pain from your neck into your shoulder as well as some stiffness in moving the neck.

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How can our osteopathic treatment help you?

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As experienced osteopaths, we use a wide range of gentle manipulations depending on your age, fitness and diagnosis to reduce muscular tension in the neck and improve movement in the joints of your neck and upper back. We may gently massage the soft tissues or rhythmically “rock” the joints to release tension and sometimes we may gently manipulate your neck to move the joints and you may hear a “click” which is painless.

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Treatment is tailored to you as an individual and sometimes it might involve treating other areas in your back and shoulders as well as the neck. We may offer advice on your posture at work or in the car and give advice on exercise and stretching to help keep your neck and upper back muscles and joints relaxed. X-rays, ultra sound, MRI & CT scans may sometimes be required to reach a rational diagnosis. We at the Spine Health Centre for direct access for these in Basingstoke, Guildford and London.

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