Many people suffer from neck pain and it has a tendency to affect office workers, who spend many hours a day at a desk. In fact, research shows that it is the most common musculoskeletal complaint for people who work in an office.

Research has also found that sufferers of neck pain are more likely to encounter other musculoskeletal pain along with their neck trouble and this is most probably caused by them having an increased sensitivity to pain.

At Broadgate Spine & Joint Clinic, we use reliable medical research to provide evidence-based care that can effectively treat neck pain. One common thread that emerges in the research is that patients with neck pain also have an impaired activation of their deep flexor muscles and this demonstrates the need for an effective neck rehabilitation programme that can treat these muscles.

We use a combination of manual therapy, such as manipulation and mobilisation, and exercise to treat neck pain and evidence shows that this low load training of the deep neck muscles is the most effective form of rehabilitation. It can benefit the patient even in the early stages of rehabilitation and it is more effective at lessening chronic neck pain in the long term when compared to the patient receiving no treatment at all.

While exercise is an effective part of the rehabilitation, it is very important that it is carried out correctly to ensure the patient is receiving the maximum benefits.

Here at Broadgate Spine & Joint Clinic, we use biofeedback tools, which offer our patients the confidence that they are successfully activating the correct muscle patterns whilst they are working on strengthening the deep neck muscles. These tools help the clinical staff to measure the success of the treatment too.

Exercises that can ease neck pain

Exercise can help to relieve neck pain by improving the activation pattern of the deep neck muscles. If you would like to see some example exercises, take a look at the three links below.

Activating the deep neck flexor with biofeedback device

Deep neck flexor – Longus Colli strengthening level 2

Deep neck flexor – Longus Colli strengthening level 1

For more information on how to ease neck pain with exercise and by doing some related research, click here.