Osteopathic Treatment of Neck Problems

Source: www.backandbodycare.com/home/neck/neck.htm

Joint strain/lock

Osteopaths are able to feel and locate locked joints that are causing the pain.

Cause: Sports injuries, keeping the neck turned for too long, sleeping with high/low pillows, turning too quickly.

Treatment: Osteopathic manipulation to release the joints, mobilisation to increase the range of movement. Ultrasound therapy may be used. Balancing the ligaments that hold joints together.

Background: Manipulation of locked joints frees the neck and improves the range.
Clicking of these joints is not the same as when people click their own neck; they are not as specific and tend to click the same joints for years, causing future problems.
With osteopathic treatment and management people click their neck less often, feel more flexibility. They can turn their head further and have less discomfort.
Massage often helps temporarily to release the muscles, but without releasing the locked joint the stiffness soon returns. However, osteopathic deep soft massage can give longer relief because muscles are also stretched and lengthened to allow the joints to move freely. Otherwise residual stiffness can remain for a long time.

Upper Rib Problems
People are often surprised when they are told that the cause of their neck pain or stiffness is due to their ribs.

Cause: Sleeping on one side for too long with wrong pillow height, previous unresolved injury, muscle- or joint-trauma, compression from a spinal curvature.

Treatment: Deep soft tissue release of the muscles in between ribs as well as increasing the gap between rib segments, manipulation of the rib joints in the spine. Balancing the ligaments that hold joints together.

Background: Individual ribs can be injured and cause discomfort during breathing and neck movements. Upper rib problems tend to be painful on either side of the neck, between the shoulder blades and a few inches away from the spine. The pain is not sharp but often nagging and persistent. The discomfort can be quite deep, non-specific, and can vary.
People often ignore these symptoms until other overlapping problems become prominent.
Osteopaths examine other areas looking for structures that can contribute to the problem. This approach is different from orthopaedic surgeons or physiotherapists.
Osteopathic evaluation for neck complaints includes the examination of other structures like shoulders, mid back and rib cage. The examination can highlight long-standing upper rib pain that has intermittently caused discomfort for many years.
However, it is only after the detailed examination that patients realize the extent of their pain and the memory of the forgotten discomfort that they have come to accept.
The initial osteopathic treatment can relieve the current muscle and joint stiffness, but treating the underlying rib problems will provide long-term relief.

Scoliosis/curvature
There is a misconception that taking the “curve” out of the spine will relieve pain and discomfort. People with a straight spine also get back pain!

Cause: For some, the curvature runs in the family as a hereditary problem, for others poor posture and bad habits in the long term can promote a curvature. Long or short leg syndrome is a common cause.

Treatment: X-rays are often recommended to assess the curve in detail. Soft tissue stretching and joint/spinal manipulation are needed to allow the body to compensate better for the curvature. Craniosacral techniques to release the internal stress and strains of the body.

Background: Osteopathic principles guide osteopaths to improve mobility, flexibility and function of the body and not just the spine, allowing the body to cope better under any circumstance - this includes scoliosis.
Scoliosis is not a disease but a description of the curvature of the spine. No person is 100% symmetrical and everyone is dominant on one side (the majority are right hand dominant). And so everyone has some form of curvature, which varies within a given range.
Patients with neck pain/stiffness resulting from a curvature in the mid back can get pain relief by osteopathic manipulation and mobilization of the soft tissues (muscles, ligaments, tendons) and joints.
The aim is to release any restriction around the mid back and neck to give the body a chance to compensate better for the curvature.
These treatments result in reducing both the constant daily stiffness and the frequency of clicking their own neck and an improved posture.

Trapped Nerves
Tingling and numbness in the hand and fingers constitute compression of spinal nerves at the lower part of the neck.

Cause: Compression and damage to discs (spondylosis), shortened and very tight muscles in the front and side of the neck can compress the nerves and blood vessels of the arm

Treatment: Patients can get relief from osteopathic manipulation - not simply applying traction to the neck, which is the standard hospital treatment, but by local and general treatment to the upper girdle (shoulder and head/neck) and lower girdle (pelvis and hips). Craniosacral techniques to release tension in the upper girdle and resolve previous trauma.

Background: Osteopathic manipulation can reduce the amount of hand symptoms for a person suffering from spondylosis.
There is no cure for this condition but rather a better treatment regime. They will always be prone to recurring symptoms, which is why exercise and posture correction are prescribed.
Treatment reduces the compression of the nerves, and osteopathic examination identifies factors that contribute to the nerve irritation.
These can be from poor posture, bad sleeping habits, lack of exercise or unresolved joint problems.

Pre-Surgery
Osteopathic treatment can help prepare the structures around the neck prior to surgery. This will help to improve the recovery rate.

Post-Surgery
Disc operations in the neck are un-common but for those who have undergone this procedure, osteopathic treatment can often provide relief from neck stiffness, nerve compression, joint degeneration and muscle tightness.

First Aid to Neck problems

Use ice compress as soon as possible for 10 minutes to reduce inflammation. Take a break for 10 minutes and repeat 3x. This can be done every 2-3 hours for the first 1-2 days.

Take some anti-inflammatory tablets to control pain and reduce inflammation. Take care if you have sensitive stomach lining or ulcers.

If the pain is severe, make an appointment with the osteopath

If the pain persists after two days, see the osteopath. Take note that your body takes longer to recover if you delay your treatment.

If in doubt, call the osteopath for advice.

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