NECK PAIN AND PHYSIOTHERAPY TREATMENT

NECK PAIN 

Neck pain can occur due to the number of causes and disturbs our daily living activities. If untreated leads to severe problems.

The common causes of neck pain are:

• Degenerative disc disease
• Neck strain
• Herniated disc
• Pinched Nerve
• Any neck injuries like Whiplash injury
• Sleeping in an uncomfortable position
• Rare infections such as Tuberculosis of the neck, Infections of the neck spine bones like osteomyelitis, Meningitis accompanied by neck stiffness.

Risk factors for neck pain are:

• Any injuries in sports
• Work-related injuries
• Motor vehicle accidents
• Stress and anxiety will cause pain: During periods of intense anxiety, your muscles tense up dramatically. Muscle tension tightens the muscles, especially in the shoulders, back, and neck. The more anxiety you experience, the more tension may cause significant pain and discomfort.

Signs and symptoms:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Tingling or numbness
• A headache
• Shoulder pain
• Tenderness
• Dizziness
• Radiating pain from neck to fingers
• Stiffness
• Decreased in movements

Treatment:

By doctors, advice take Muscle relaxants and painkillers.

For stress and anxiety related neck pain, you can do Meditations and yoga.

Generally, in some cases, surgery is done for degenerative disc disease, trauma, and spinal instability. These conditions may put pressure on your spinal cord or on the nerves coming from the spine. Commonly two surgical techniques for cervical spine surgery 

 1.Decompression, removing the tissue pressing against a nerve structure

2.Stabilization, where they work to limit motion between vertebrae

Physiotherapy treatment

Physiotherapy treatment plays an important role in the treatment of neck pain

Initially, for reducing pain and swelling and stiffness, you can start with modalities treatment

First initially give rest to your neck

IFT Machine treatment: Helps in reducing the Radiating pain

Ultrasound treatment: Helps in reducing localized pain and gives relaxation to the muscle.

Cervical spine traction helps in relieving compressed nerve in between the vertebrae which help in reducing symptoms like pinching, dizziness, localized pain, and spasm

Other modalities like TENS also helps in relieving pain

While sleeping try to remove pillow under your neck and keep a rolled towel under the neck.

Use external supporters like Neck Collars

Spine manipulations help in relieving spinal related problems

Proper posture training and ergonomic advice

Massage techniques help in reducing pain and gives muscle relaxation.

Hot / Cold packs help to reduce pain

Avoid jerky or painful movements

If pain and tenderness are more than don’t start exercises initially. First, go with the pain reducing modalities and once pain subsided then start exercises, and spine manipulation techniques.

Prior to exercise, apply a heating pad to warm up stiff muscles and joints and make it easier to stretch

After exercise, apply a cold pack to reduce inflammation in the joints and muscle.

If a neck exercise feels painful, it should either modified or discontinued

According to your problem physiotherapist will plan the exercise programme:

Start neck mobility exercises

Neck Strengthening exercises: Tuck your chin into your chest and hold this position for 15-20 seconds. Bend your head back, looking straight up to the sky or ceiling and hold this position for 15-20 seconds. Turn your head as far as you can to the left and hold this position for 15-20 seconds. Repeat again on opposite side.

Neck Release stretch: This gentle stretch targets the sides of your neck. Sit on the floor in a crossed leg position or in a chair with your feet flat on the ground. Extend your right arm next to your right knee or along the right side of the chair. Place your left hand on the top of your head and slowly tilt your head to the left. Apply gentle pressure with your hand to increase the stretch. To feel a deeper stretch, you can hold on to your right knee or the seat of the chair. This stabilizes the torso and allows you to isolate the stretch on the side of your neck. Hold on this side for 30 seconds, then slowly lift your head up and repeat this stretch on the other side.

Shoulder Rotations

Isometric exercises to the neck

Acupuncture

Note: Please consult your doctor before starting the exercise programme.

Diabetes In Pregnancy

Gestational diabetes

High blood sugar levels during pregnancy called Gestational Diabetes. Placental hormones can cause high blood sugar levels and usually disappears after giving birth. It can occur at any stage of pregnancy but is more common in the second half of pregnancy. It’s not clear that why only some women are getting affected by gestational diabetes and some other are not. Doctors theorize that genetic predisposition, environmental issues such as obesity prior to pregnancy and other behavioral factors such as diet and exercise habits.

In gestational diabetes, the baby may be increased risk of excessive birth weight. Extra glucose in your blood stream crosses the placenta, which triggers your baby to grow too large and makes vaginal birth harder.

Signs and symptoms:

Sugar in urine

Frequent urination

Fatigue

Unusual thirst

Dry mouth

Nausea

Frequent Vaginal and bladder infections

Skin infections

Vision related problems

Causes:

During pregnancy, the placenta makes hormones that can lead to a build-up of glucose in your blood. Usually, the pancreas can make enough insulin to handle that. If not blood sugar levels will rise and can cause Gestational diabetes.

Can Gestational diabetes reduced during pregnancy

Usually, blood sugar levels return to normal within six weeks of childbirth. But in some women with gestational diabetes are more likely to get Type 2 Diabetes later in life.

Treatment:

It can be reduced by controlling blood sugar levels.

Blood sugar levels can be reduced by changes in diet and exercise and by using proper medications.

Meet your dietician and physiotherapist for proper planning of the treatment.

PHYSIOTHERAPY TREATMENT:

Perform exercise atleast three times a weak

STEPS TO FOLLOW BEFORE STARTING AN EXERCISE PROGRAMME

• Wear a loose and comfortable outfit 
• Wear supportive footwear 
• Fluid intake should be more to avoid dehydration
• Avoid exercises during hot weather
• Warm up and cool down for at least 5 minutes 
• Carry a water bottle before you are going for a walk.
• Start exercises under the supervision of qualified experts.  Exercises should be simple and basic level initially for 15 min for few days and then gradually progress to moderate level for 20-30 min.

WHEN TO STOP EXERCISE

• When there is a abdominal pain, back or pubic pain
• Vaginal Bleeding
• Dizziness
• Shortness of breath
• Difficulty in walking
• Faintness
• Palpitations

Meet your doctor immediately if you feel more uncomfortable.

WHAT TO AVOID DURING PREGNANCY

Avoid Sports  
Avoid Toe touches and Deep Knee Bends

EXERCISE PROGRAMME

Start your exercise programme from a Brisk walk and then start doing exercises to your Arms, Neck rotations and then progress to lower parts of the body.

1. Walking is a good exercise from the first month of pregnancy onwards. First initially start with 15 min of a walk then increase slowly & gradually to 30 min walk.
2. Neck rotations: Turn your neck round & Move your head sideways 
3. Shoulder rotations: Bend your elbows and put your hands on shoulders do movements in clockwise and Anticlockwise direction.
4. Keep ups: Bend your elbows so that your arms are parallel to the elbow and raise your elbows overhead and slowly increase the speed and bring your elbows right back like sweeping motion and inhaling up and exhaling down. This exercise is most useful for shoulder and neck.
5. Deep breathing exercises like pranayama increase oxygen to the fetus and highly beneficial during labor pain.
6. Quadriceps Strengthening Exercise as body weight will fall on knee joints more you have to strengthen those muscles.
   Sit upright In a chair with knees bent slowly raise your bent knee straight, tighten your quadriceps muscle and hold for 5 breaths and slowly lower your leg down and repeat the same to other legs.
7. Pelvic floor exercises During pregnancy the pelvic joints become more mobile, pelvic tilts helpful to relieve from back pain.
8. BUTTERFLY POSE exercise helps in increasing blood supply to the pelvic area. If you are unable to do exercise take your help of your husband and start the exercise with caution. Slowly bent down and sit crosslegged, begin with sitting in crossed leg and breath in and out slowly and consistently. Now stretch your both legs towards the front, breath consistently, comfortably sit and relax comfortably with your back and shoulder straight. Just exercise as much as you able to. In this position place your knees upwards or bent and use your hands and touch both ankles and bring your feet close together then slowly Stretch your legs and pull your knees. If you feel any stretch at pelvis then stop and concentrate on your pelvic area and breath in and out deeply and consistently. If you feel any tiredness then immediately stop the exercises and stretch your feet outwards as before and place your hands behind your back and relax. 
9. CRAWL POSTURE In sitting position slowly bend your knees up and place your hands down as in crawling posture. Spread your legs apart in this position and arch the back upwards and downwards now tighten the pelvic floor muscles and bottom muscles, constrict the bottom muscles and arch the back upwards count for 5 breaths and relax &then straighten up your back and repeat again. Do not bend your back forward   
10. Half squats: Stand behind a chair and hold it with both hands and slowly lower down into half squat position and hold for two to three breaths and return to the standing position. Repeat this exercise three times in a day. This exercise helps to increase in flexibility and strength to your pelvic floor muscles.  
11. Ankle pumps: For swollen ankles, this exercise helps a lot, place a pillow under your foot and do ankle upward and downward movements slowly.

Please consult your doctor before starting any exercise programme