Head and Neck
Head and Neck Pain & Treatments
Head and neck pain is an extremely common condition and there are many recognisable symptoms associated with it. Neck pain is often associated with headaches and can also refer pain to the shoulder and arm.
Our physiotherapists at Core Physio provide comprehensive assessment and treatment for head and neck conditions including:
Your treatment program at Core Physio will be tailored to your individual needs to ensure reach you maximum physical potential and continue to enjoy everyday and sporting activities.
Our Bothwell Medical Rooms team also provide specialist services on Head and Face Pain. These are led by our consultant in Pain Medicine.
Head and Face Pain
It is common for people to suffer from occasional head pain, including headaches or face pain from a sinus infection. However, it is less common for people to suffer from ongoing severe bouts of head and face pain or craniofacial pain.
Otherwise healthy people can become victims of relentless head and face pain for a number of reasons. Constant headaches, eye pain, facial pain or stiff neck and shoulder muscles may be a cause for concern, as they can be symptoms of an underlying condition. Common causes include:
- Headaches
- Migraines
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Occipital neuralgia
- Temporomandibular joint pain
- Cervical pain
- Atypical facial pain
- Facial neuropathic pain
Diagnosis for Head and Face Pain
Consultants at our clinics use the latest medical advancements to ensure that the source of your pain is correctly identified. We offer:
- A full assessment with a consultant in pain medicine
- A detailed history concentrating on your head and face pain
- A thorough head and facial examination
- Investigations with high resolution MRI scanning, x rays and ultrasound scans with experienced consultant radiologists to pinpoint the source of your pain if required
- Our second opinion service.
Treatment for Head and Face Pain
At the Bothwell Medical Rooms clinic we understand that each patient may have a different experience of pain and requires their own specially tailored care. As a patient with Bothwell Medical Rooms you will be consulted every step of the way to ensure you are comfortable with your treatment. At the Clinic you can expect:
- A full explanation of your head and face pain
- An individual treatment plan
- Access to the latest analgesic medications
- A range of minimally invasive pain management procedures
- Botulinum Toxin A (Botox) treatment
- Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) treatment
- Peripheral electrical nerve stimulation (PENS) treatment
- Surgical options, if indicated.
Below we have some general details on conditions:
Headaches
Headaches affect approximately two-thirds of the population. Headaches are often seen in those with poor posture, office workers and people under stress. This kind of headache is called a ‘cervical headache’.
Cervical headaches are caused by the stiffness and tightness of the joints, muscles, fascia and nerves in the neck, presenting as a constant, steady, dull ache, often on the forehead, temples or the back of the head.
This can occur following direct trauma, such as a ‘whiplash’ injury or repetitive trauma at work or during sporting activities. The onset is usually gradual and may be present for days, weeks or months and is often associated with neck pain and stiffness.
A person working for long periods at a desk with a poor posture is also at risk of developing a cervical headache. Maintaining a poor posture for long periods can lead to tight muscles and joints in the neck, shoulders and upper back which in turn manifest themselves as a headache. The diagram to the right shows the areas of pain that can be associated with different levels of the neck.
What are the symptoms/effects of a Headache?
Common symptoms of a headache include:
- Pain at the back and base of the skull, sometimes extending down to the neck and between the shoulder blades
- Pain behind the eyebrows and forehead
- Stiffness in the neck
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Increased sensitive to light and sound
Physiotherapy for Headaches
At Core Physio we commonly assess and treat people suffering from headaches following trauma or due to poor posture. A person with headaches is likely to benefit from physiotherapy treatment if the cause of the problem is the neck. Our physiotherapists will initially look at your current symptoms including pain, range of movement, muscle strength and function, in order to develop a specialised treatment program suited to you.
Physiotherapy treatment will depend on your needs and lifestyle but may include:
- Mobilisation and manipulation of the joints in the neck
- Stretching and strengthening of the muscles in the neck
- Massage to tight muscles in the neck and shoulders Postural retraining
- Ergonomic workstation assessment and advice
Your physiotherapist at will guide and support you through your rehabilitation program to correct the current problem and prevent further headache recurrence.
Schedule your Cortisone Injection.
Ultrasound-Guided Injection Clinic
Treatment for frozen shoulder.
Get in touch to schedule your physiotherapy consultation today.
Hyaluronic for Osteoarthritis
Effective treatments for joint pain and inflammation.
Acute wry neck pain (Torticollis)
What is Acute wry neck pain?
Acute wry neck pain (Torticollis) is a common and very painful injury characterised by a sudden onset of sharp neck pain with limitation of movement. It commonly occurs during a sudden quick movement or on waking.
What causes Acute wry neck pain?
It is unclear what the exact cause of acute wry neck pain is. It may result from a minor injury or simply sleeping with the neck in an unusual position. It is thought that the joints in the neck become jammed or locked, which results in pain and muscle spasm.
Diagnosis of Acute wry neck pain
Your physiotherapist will usually be able to diagnose acute wry neck pain from the description of the pain, and by examining you.
What are the symptoms/effects of Acute wry neck pain?
- Pain
- Unable to turn head, usually holding it twisted to one side,
- Muscle spasms
Physiotherapy for Acute wry neck pain
Physiotherapy treatment at will help relieve pain and keep your neck moving as normally, so that you make a full recovery as soon as possible.
Your physiotherapist will prevent your neck from stiffening up and provide you with gentle exercises to gradually increase your range of movement.
Physiotherapy treatment at Core Physio will depend on your current symptoms but may include:
- Advice on painkillers and anti-inflammatories
- Soft tissue massage to relieve pain and muscle spasm
- Heat therapy to relieve stiffness
- Tecartherapy to promote healing
- Active and passive range of movement exercises to improve range of movement and prevent stiffness.
- Postural advice to check that you are sitting appropriately at work or at the computer.
Your physiotherapist will ensure your treatment program is tailored to you to ensure you make the best possible recovery and continue to improve in the long term.
Nerve Root Pain
What is nerve root pain?
Acute nerve root pain is a condition characterised by arm pain, often in combination with numbness and/or pins and needles. The patient may or may not experience pain in the neck itself.
What causes nerve root pain?
Nerve root pain can be caused by direct pressure from a prolapsed disc or degenerative changes in the cervical spine that causes irritation and inflammation of the nerve roots.
When the nerve root is compressed or irritated this results in a pattern of pain and numbness in your arms and hands in the area of skin supplied the by sensory fibers of the nerve root, and weakness in the muscles that are also supplied by the same nerve root.
The symptoms of nerve root pain may include:
- Pain
- Numbness and tingling
- Pins and needles
- Muscle weakness
- Reduced range of movement
Physiotherapy for nerve root pain
Physiotherapy treatment at Core Physio will be tailored to your own specific condition to reduce pain and get you back to a level you were previously safely and effectively.
Your physiotherapist will assess your current symptoms, including range of movement and muscle strength and ability with functional activities to help guide a structured rehabilitation program which may include:
- Mobilisation and manipulation of the neck
- Injection Therapy
- Stretching and strengthening of the neck musculature
- Massage to relieve tight muscles in the neck and shoulders
- Postural retraining
Your physiotherapist will ensure your treatment program is tailored to you, to ensure you make the best possible recovery and continue to improve in the long term.
Whiplash
Schedule your Cortisone Injection.
Ultrasound-Guided Injection Clinic
Treatment for frozen shoulder.
Get in touch to schedule your physiotherapy consultation today.
Hyaluronic for Osteoarthritis
Effective treatments for joint pain and inflammation.
What is Whiplash?
“Whiplash syndrome” is the name given to a group of neck pain syndromes most commonly resulting from rear-end vehicle impacts. Permanent damage is uncommon and your long-term outlook is good. Whiplash injuries are not usually serious and do not involve damage to the bones, discs or nerves in the neck.
The cause of pain in the acute (recent) stage after whiplash may be acute muscle injury, but there can be other significant injuries depending on the force of the injury. These can include spinal fracture, haematomas (bleeding into the tissues) and nerve damage.
What causes Whiplash?
Whiplash is commonly caused by sudden, violent, backward jerk of the head or neck as the result of a rear end motor collision that includes sudden acceleration or deceleration.
As well as road accidents, whiplash may also be caused by:
- a sudden blow to the head – for example, during contact sports such as boxing or rugby
- a slip or fall where the head is suddenly and violently jolted backwards
- being struck on the head by a heavy or solid object.
What are the effects/symptoms of Whiplash?
Most people report pain in the back of the neck which is worse on movement. Pain may radiate up to the head, across to the shoulders, arms or between the shoulder blades. Headaches are typically at the back of the head and spread forwards over the head.
Other, less common symptoms can be:
- Disturbances of eyesight
- Problems with balance and dizziness
- Weakness and heaviness in the arms
- Pins and needles on the inner sides of the hands
- Hoarseness and difficulty swallowing and eating
- Disturbances of hearing
Additionally, some bruising may occur in the seatbelt area. If rotation or turning of the neck is involved, then other structures in the neck may be affected, such as the nerves which pass between the vertebrae and out to the arm.
Physiotherapy for Whiplash
Our specialised physiotherapists at Core Physio are experienced in dealing with whiplash and will use a variety of techniques to alleviate your pain and return you to full levels of activity. It is important to start treatment early to speed up recovery.
Your physiotherapist will initially assess your physical symptoms following your accident and ensure treatment is tailored to these findings.
Treatments used may include:
- Use of ice to decrease inflammation
- Advice on painkillers and anti-inflammatories
- Active and passive range of movement exercises to promote healing and relieve pain and stiffness
- Progressive exercises (including stretches, strengthening and conditioning)
- Soft tissue massage to promote recovery
- Joint mobilisation
- Tecartherapy
- Postural alignment training
- Detailed reports for insurance companies if necessary
Your personalised rehabilitation program is normally between 4 and 8 weeks in length depending on your needs.
Core Physio stress the importance of proper care after injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident and encourage each patient to follow their instructions closely, following through with every component of the program, to ensure the best possible recovery.