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What is a physiotherapist?
Medical
conditions
Preventing pain at work
Injury
prevention
"Hot"
or "Cold" ?
Your first visit...
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Clinical questions
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Orthopedics
Neck
pain | Low back pain
| Shoulder pain
| Hip pain
| Knee pain
| Ankle sprain
See a health care professional
The hardest thing for
any patient to do is figure out what to do and who to see for
their neck problem. There are a list of healthcare professionals
that treat neck pain including physicians, physiotherapists, osteopaths,
massotherapists, and chiropractors. As with all professions, there
are good ones and less good ones out there. So it is up to you
to do some research and find out who can help you best. As a physiotherapist,
I recommend physiotherapists of course as this approach is comprehensive;
it deals with the joints, muscles, patterns of movements and provides
you the knowledge to help yourself and prevent injury.
Who should you see first?
You need to determine the nature of the neck pain:
Traumatic neck pain
If you had a trauma to your head or neck due to a fall, a car
accident or an object falling on your neck or head, then I suggest
you to see your family physician immediately to rule out any fracture.
If you experience one of the following: dizziness,
blurred vision, blackouts, difficulty swallowing or speaking along
with your neck pain, then you should also see your family physician
immediately.If your pain is not of a traumatic origin (woke up
one morning with it, aches after heavy labour, and aches for a
while but can't recall a specific triggering event), then the
following may occur:
- Pain subsides and disappear within 3-10 days ' No medical
intervention needed
- Pain is improving but still not gone by the 10th day and somewhat
limiting your daily activity ' See MD and physio
- Pain persists, radiates to the arms and worsens with severe
intensity, limiting your physical ability to function throughout
the day. ' See MD and physio by the 3rd day.
" Your family doctor. Doctor may
prescribe the following: anti-inflammatory and pain medication,
diagnostic tests (X-Rays, MRI, CT scan), and physiotherapy.
" Your physiotherapist. If your neck
pain has not significantly subsided by the 10th day, there is
a great chance that your muscles and your joints are stiffer and
weaker, perpetuating your pain. Your nerve or disc may also be
severely pinched, requiring manual treatment. Your therapist will
help get your joints less painful. He/she will also show you how
to stretch out those tight muscles and build up strength.
Non traumatic neck pain - started for no apparent reason
If pain had been present for more than 6 weeks
and is not improving or is getting worse, the first step is to
see a physician so that he can rule out any serious pathology.
If the cause of the pain is due to arthrosis or arthritis or of
a muscular origin then I suggest you see a physiotherapist for
treatment.
To illustrate, I suggest you go through the following thought
process to find the proper help:
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