Conditions
Neck pain and injuries
Neck pain is nearly as common as back pain and behaves much the same way: most of it is mechanical, most of it settles, and staying active beats resting it. The exceptions matter, though — a neck is close to things you do not want to get wrong — so this page starts with what needs a doctor before us.
See a doctor first
Neck pain with any of the following needs an emergency department or a same-day physician visit, not a therapy appointment:
- Neck pain after a car crash, a fall from height, or a blow to the head — especially if you are over 65
- Weakness, clumsiness or numbness in both hands, or trouble walking or with balance
- Sudden severe headache, difficulty speaking, facial drooping, or vision changes — call 911
- Fever with a stiff neck that you cannot bend forward
- Pain with unexplained weight loss, or a history of cancer
What we see most
Neck conditions we treat, and what therapy does for each.
Mechanical neck pain
Pain and stiffness in the neck and upper shoulders, often worse after long hours at a desk or on a phone, or after sleeping awkwardly. The most common neck complaint by far.
What therapy does: The clinical practice guideline for neck pain rates exercise and manual therapy as the treatments with the best evidence, and we use both: mobilization to restore movement, then strengthening of the deep neck and shoulder-blade muscles so the improvement holds. Most people improve substantially within a few weeks. Posture advice on its own does little; strength is what changes it.
Cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve)
A nerve root in the neck is irritated — by a bulging disc in younger people, by bony narrowing in older ones — and sends pain, tingling or numbness down one arm, sometimes with weakness.
What therapy does: Most cases settle without surgery over weeks to months. Therapy uses positions and movements that reduce the arm symptoms, nerve-gliding exercises, gentle traction where it helps, and progressive strengthening as the nerve calms down. Progressive weakness in the arm is the sign that a physician needs to be involved, and we watch for it.
Whiplash
Neck strain after a sudden back-and-forth movement, most often a rear-end collision. Pain and stiffness typically appear within a day or two.
What therapy does: Once fractures and ligament injury have been ruled out, the evidence is clear that early, gentle movement recovers faster than a collar and rest. We restore range, calm the guarding, and build the strength that lets you turn your head to drive without thinking about it. Most people recover well; the minority whose symptoms persist do better with a structured, active program than with continued passive care.
Cervicogenic headache
A headache that starts in the neck and spreads to the back of the head, temple or behind one eye, brought on by neck movement or sustained positions.
What therapy does: When the headache truly originates in the upper neck joints, manual therapy and specific deep neck-flexor exercise reduce both frequency and intensity, with good trial evidence. Migraine and tension-type headache are different conditions; part of the first visit is telling them apart, and we refer when the pattern does not fit.
Post-surgical rehabilitation
Recovery after a cervical discectomy, fusion or disc replacement. Your surgeon's protocol sets the timeline.
What therapy does: Early on the job is protecting the surgery and keeping the rest of you moving; later it is restoring range within the limits your surgeon sets, then strength and endurance for work and daily life. One practice means the plan follows you to whichever clinic is convenient.
Do you need a scan first?
For neck pain without red-flag symptoms, usually not. Cervical MRIs show disc bulges and degeneration in a large share of adults who have no neck pain at all, so a scan often names a culprit that is not causing the problem. An examination and a few weeks of treatment tell us more.
After trauma, or with any of the warning signs above, imaging comes first and we will say so. If arm weakness is progressing, or symptoms are not moving after a genuine trial of therapy, we refer for imaging or a specialist opinion rather than treating on.
What treatment looks like
The first visit maps the problem: which movements provoke and ease it, whether symptoms travel into the arm, a neurological check of the arms, and how the upper back and shoulder blades are contributing — because they nearly always are.
Treatment combines hands-on work — joint mobilization, soft-tissue techniques, sometimes dry needling — with exercise for the deep neck flexors, the shoulder-blade stabilizers and the upper back, progressed as symptoms allow. We also look at the practical things: screen height, pillow, how you carry a bag.
Most neck problems are seen once or twice a week for four to eight weeks. If you are not measurably better after three or four visits, the plan changes.
How we treat it
The services that apply.
Physical Therapy
Pain and movement problems treated without drugs or surgery. Offered at every clinic.
Learn moreDry Needling
A thin-needle technique for tight muscle, used inside a wider plan — never on its own.
Learn moreVestibular Therapy
Retrains your balance system. For vertigo and dizziness it is among the best-evidenced care in PT.
Learn more
FAQ
Common questions
- Should I wear a neck collar?
- Rarely, and not for long. For whiplash and mechanical neck pain, guidelines advise against soft collars beyond the first day or two: they slow recovery and weaken the muscles that support the neck. Early gentle movement recovers faster.
- Is my neck pain causing my headaches?
- It can. Cervicogenic headaches start in the upper neck joints and are triggered by neck movement or sustained positions. Migraine and tension-type headaches are different conditions with different treatment; your therapist assesses which pattern fits and refers you if it is not the neck.
- How long does a pinched nerve in the neck take to heal?
- Most cases of cervical radiculopathy improve substantially within six to twelve weeks without surgery. Progressive arm weakness, or symptoms that are not improving after a proper trial of treatment, are reasons to involve a physician.
- Can I be treated for neck pain at any SportsCare clinic?
- Yes. Back and neck pain and spine rehabilitation are offered at every SportsCare location.
Sources
- Neck Pain: Revision 2017 — Clinical Practice Guidelines — Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy (APTA)
- Neck Pain — OrthoInfo, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
- Cervical Radiculopathy (Pinched Nerve) — OrthoInfo, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
- Neck pain and stiff neck — NHS
- Whiplash — NHS
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. A physical therapist at any SportsCare clinic can evaluate your specific situation.