Neck pains can sometimes be sudden and if not treated on time can cause long- term discomfort. At performance medicine our practitioners understand that every individual is different and we work to build a specific treatment plan to cater to your individual needs.

Some common Neck pains experienced are;

• Acute Wry Neck
• Whiplash injuries (Whiplash Associated Disorders)

Whiplash injuries

Whiplash is a term used to describe injuries of the neck that are a result of an acceleration – deceleration incident, such as a car accident where a car is rear-ended. The neck is hyper extended and flexed at high velocities causing stretching of the muscles and ligaments that provide stability and control for the neck.

Symptoms of whiplash include neck pain, headaches, muscle spasm, arm pain, pins and needles or numbness.

Early management of these injuries is vital to prevent long-term neck pain and dysfunction that occurs in the muscles. Your musculoskeletal or sports physiotherapist can assess and treat your neck; guiding you through a full rehabilitation programme. Your treatment may involve soft tissue techniques, joint mobilisations, strengthening of the deep neck muscles, taping and ergonomic advice.

Acute Wry Neck

An acute wry neck is a sudden onset of neck pain that restricts neck range of movement and the neck often feels “stuck” in a position due to neck muscle spasms. An acute wry neck may occur in children and can be distressing as it is stiff and painful.

An acute onset of a wry neck is generally related to the facet joints of the cervical spine. Symptoms include sudden onset of pain, pain on one side that doesn’t radiate past the shoulder, fixed neck position (generally away from the painful side).

A more gradual increase in neck pain that causes movement restriction may be more related to a cervical disc issue. Symptoms for pain related to cervical discs may be lower in the neck/upper back region, dull and radiating and restriction of movement is due to pain, not mechanical blocking.

Wry necks do resolve however, musculoskeletal physiotherapy management can alleviate the discomfort and may decrease the period of time that you are experiencing your discomfort and neck range restriction. Your physiotherapist will also address the cause of your neck pain such as posture, neck muscle weakness, thoracic spine dysfunction and shoulder girdle weakness.