What can I do about burning neck pain?

Your options for dealing with burning neck pain depend on the cause of your pain. However, visiting a physical therapist could be the most effective no matter what’s causing your pain.

Neck pain isn’t that uncommon in the U.S.; medical researchers estimate that up to 50% of Americans have an episode of neck pain every year. A physical therapist can help you learn the source of your neck pain. They can also help you treat your neck pain effectively. 

Common causes of burning neck pain

Burning neck pain is typically caused by the irritation of nerves in the neck. There are many issues that can cause this irritation, but some of the most likely causes include: 

• Herniated cervical discs
• Cervical osteoarthritis
• Tense neck muscles
• Peripheral neuropathy

Three ways physical therapists can treat your burning neck pain

It’s common for physical therapists to evaluate your neck before beginning treatment. This can help them learn the source of your neck pain and other symptoms you may also have. 

With this information, your physical therapist will choose which therapy techniques to use in your treatment plan. Three of the techniques your therapist could use include: 

1. Manual therapy — Physical therapists use their hands to perform manual therapy techniques. That’s why it’s also known as hands-on therapy. This category of therapy is typically used to mobilize and manipulate neck soft tissue and joints. Manual therapy can also be very effective at decreasing neck pain. One study reveals that one week of hands-on therapy decreased pain significantly in 75% of the patients who had it. 

2. Therapeutic exercises — Strengthening and stretching your neck muscles can also help reduce your neck pain. Your physical therapist can show you how to do specific therapeutic exercises to accomplish this goal. A medical study on therapeutic exercises for neck pain shows that they helped increase patients’ pain-free range of motion (ROM). This study showed patients had: 

• A 26% improvement in cervical flexion.
• An 18% increase in cervical extension.
• A 15% increase in right lateral flexion. 
• A 14% improvement in left lateral flexion.
• A 10% increase in right rotation.
• A 9% improvement in left rotation.

3. Dry needling — Many people are wary of needles, but the thin needles used for dry needling don’t tend to cause discomfort. In fact, patients who have this therapy method used on them can have significant pain reduction. Medical researchers from one dry needling study reveal that patients had a 33% decrease in neck pain immediately after their session. One week after the session, patients’ neck pain had decreased by a total of 66%. 

Find physical therapy that can reduce burning neck pain at Back in Motion

Interested in using physical therapy to treat your burning neck pain? Our Back in Motion physical therapists are ready and willing to help you treat many issues that cause this type of pain. Our team offers free screenings that can pinpoint the root cause of your neck pain. We can also build you an individualized therapy program intended to decrease your pain and prevent its return.

Contact us today for more information about our therapy services for neck pain or to schedule an initial appointment.