Neck Pain
Neck pain and a stiff neck often come from desk posture, phone use, sleep position, arthritis or whiplash, and sometimes spread into the shoulders or down the arm. Physical therapy restores motion, strengthens the muscles that hold your head up and fixes the habits that keep the pain coming back. Xcelerate Physical Therapy treats neck pain in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.
Why your neck hurts
Different causes need different plans, so the first job is to find yours.
Posture and desk work
Hours at a screen or looking down at a phone, known as tech neck or text neck, load the neck muscles and joints. A crick in the neck on waking often traces back to this too.
Whiplash
A sudden snap of the head, such as in a car crash, strains the muscles and joints of the neck. Stiffness and pain may show up a day or two later.
Arthritis
Wear in the neck joints makes the neck stiff, especially in the morning. See Arthritis & Joint Pain for more.
A pinched nerve
A pinched nerve in the neck, called cervical radiculopathy, can cause arm pain, numbness or tingling.
Neck pain radiating down your arm
When a nerve at the neck is irritated, you may feel neck pain radiating down the arm, with tingling in the hand or a weak grip. We test neck movements and arm strength to confirm the neck is the source. Numbness in the hand from the wrist is a different problem, covered under Carpal Tunnel.
Neck and shoulder pain often travel together, and shoulder pain can start in the neck. We check both, and you can read more at Shoulder Pain.
How we treat neck pain
Treatment pairs hands-on care with exercise you can keep doing.
Hands-on care
Manual therapy and mobilization of the neck joints, plus soft tissue work for tight muscles, ease stiffness and pain.
Strengthening
Deep neck flexor strengthening and shoulder blade exercises give your neck support it lacked.
Posture and workstation training
We adjust how you sit, where your screen sits and how you hold your phone, then give you stretches for the work day.
Setting up your workstation
Small changes to your desk take load off your neck.
- Put the top of your screen at eye level
- Keep your keyboard close enough that your shoulders stay relaxed
- Raise your phone toward your eyes instead of dropping your head
- Stand and move every half hour or so
- Use a chair that supports your lower back
Related pain
A stiff neck that will not loosen, or pain at the base of the skull that spreads into the head, is worth describing when you call. If the injury happened at your job, see Work Injuries & Workers' Comp.
See a doctor first, or go to the ER, if you have
Do not wait for a physical therapy visit if you notice any of these.
- Neck pain after a fall or crash
- Dizziness or vision changes when you move your neck
- Arm weakness that is getting worse
In Pennsylvania you can see a physical therapist without a physician’s referral, but your insurance may require one: call the number on your insurance card to check, or call us before your first visit.
Neck pain care in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania
Xcelerate Physical Therapy treats neck pain at our Newtown Square clinic, 214 S. Newtown Street Road.
In Pennsylvania you can see a physical therapist without a physician’s referral, but your insurance may require one: call the number on your insurance card to check, or call us before your first visit.
Meet the people who treat you on our team page.