Similar to low back pain, neck pain is very common in the general population and is increasing due to more sedentary lifestyles and the increased number of desk and office based jobs. Prolonged sitting positions, poor posture and inactivity can lead to repetitive strain on the muscles and joints around the neck.
Physiotherapy can be very effective for treating neck pain and preventing its recurrence through a combination of hands-on treatment for pain relief and strengthening and mobility exercises to increase the resilience of the neck to repetitive strain. Other common reasons for neck pain include osteoarthritis, car accidents or injuries (whiplash), or acute sudden neck pain often with muscle spasms (torticollis/wry neck).
Like the lower back, neck pain associated with nerve related conditions are also common, such as radiculopathies which can cause arm pain, numbness, tingling and weakness due to nerve irritation or compression, due to a disc bulge, joint irritation or degenerative changes in the cervical spine.
