Neck Pain
Neck pain and a stiff neck often come from desk posture, phone use, sleep position, arthritis or whiplash, and a pinched nerve can send pain, numbness or tingling down the arm. Our physical therapists in Laguna Niguel work out what is behind yours and treat it with hands-on care, exercise and practical changes to your day.
What is behind your neck pain
The neck carries the head all day. Small habits add up, and so do injuries.
Posture and desk work
Hours at a screen pull the head forward, which overloads the muscles at the back of the neck. Tech neck and text neck are the names people use for it.
Whiplash
A sudden snap of the head, as in a car accident, can strain the muscles and joints of the neck and leave it stiff and sore for weeks.
Arthritis and stiff joints
Wear in the neck joints is common with age and shows up as stiffness and a crick in the neck, especially in the morning.
A pinched nerve in the neck
Cervical radiculopathy can cause neck pain radiating down the arm, with tingling or weakness in the hand.
When the neck is the real cause of arm, shoulder or head pain
Neck and shoulder pain often travel together, and shoulder pain is sometimes neck-related. We check the neck whenever the shoulder is the complaint, and the other way round. Read how we approach it on shoulder pain.
Headaches that start at the base of the skull are another sign the neck is involved, and they have a page of their own: headaches. Jaw pain alongside neck pain is covered on jaw pain, and tingling in the hand can be a nerve problem at the wrist instead, covered on carpal tunnel.
How we treat neck pain
Hands-on care
Manual therapy for the neck and upper back to ease stiffness and restore movement.
Strength and mobility
Exercises for the muscles that hold your head up, chosen for your neck.
Posture and workstation setup
We look at how you sit, how your screen is set up and how you sleep, and change what is feeding the pain.
“Julie’s team has healed my seriously painful neck…The other body issues were related to my love of golf…I am in shock because after four weeks, I am now in a new frame of mind and pain free. I understand also why exercises I learned here have changed my life and lifestyle. …”
More about the neck from the LOR blog
See a doctor first, or go to the ER, if you have
- Neck pain after a fall or crash
- Dizziness or vision changes when you move your neck
- Arm weakness that is getting worse
Whether your insurance plan needs a referral differs from plan to plan: call the number on your insurance card to check, or call us before your first visit and we will help you find out.
Neck pain care in Laguna Niguel, California
LOR Physical Therapy treats neck pain at our Laguna Niguel clinic, 31271 Niguel Road, Suite J, for patients across South Orange County.
Whether your insurance plan needs a referral differs from plan to plan: call the number on your insurance card to check, or call us before your first visit and we will help you find out.
Meet the people who treat you on our team page.