Does Stress Cause Neck Pain?
Does Stress Cause Neck Pain?
Does stress cause neck pain? The short answer is no! At PerformaX Elite, we like to say “contributes to” instead of “cause.” The casual way healthcare professionals throw around terms can lead to confusion and, worse still, ineffective treatment. Fortunately, our highly skilled therapists know how to dig deep and find the root cause of your neck pain, and this information helps you find relief!
Let’s discuss Nicole, a 40-something-year-old working mother of three. Nicole was used to being very active, balancing her work schedule with getting her kids to all the various activities and school functions that come with being a mom nowadays.
Her neck pain first started as a crick in the neck when she woke up one morning. As the day progressed from driving her kids around to sitting at her desk, she noticed turning her head became more difficult and painful, making focusing on work nearly impossible. Nicole struggled to figure out why her neck started hurting and came to the conclusion that stress “must be” the culprit. The more pain and difficulty moving she had, the more convinced she was that stress was to blame.
Our Patients Get Great Results
“If you’ve tried the rest, PerformaX is the best. You are thoroughly evaluated by a Doctor of Physical Therapy with many years of experience. The exercises are designed for your specific condition, not a one-size-fits-all approach. You are carefully monitored by experts with experience and knowledge, not someone more interested in their phone than your form. You are also carefully evaluated to see if you are improving. Plus they encourage you to use an app that does not allow you to cheat. They know when you are exercising and when you are not. In about two months, I experienced a 40% increase in neck mobility on my bad side and 60% on my good side. My chiropractor said that was an “impressive” improvement and my thoracic spine is better than it’s ever been. My therapist is Dr. Jeanna. I met her some years ago after I was injured by a PT who was more interested in joking with another PT than watching what he was doing. I had a minor injury, but I was so impressed by the way she worked, I asked to see her for something more serious. That was one of the best decisions I ever made. She could have simply followed existing exercise protocol and if it didn’t work, shrug her shoulders and say well, we tried. Good luck to you. Instead, she carefully observed what I was doing and if it didn’t work, changed the exercise so it did work. Sometimes she would invent an entirely new exercise. She has a vast body of knowledge about PT, but she never stops learning. She is very approachable and down to earth. You would never know what a genius she is until you’ve actually experienced the results. By the way, If you are wondering if this is the same incredible Dr. Jeanna who disappeared from OSS Elite in Burbank and Glendale sometime during the pandemic, I am happy to report yes! Also, the Performax clinic is under the same ownership as in the past. However, Dr. Jeanna is the new clinical director and Performax also has a new staff.” – C.E.
What Is InBody Testing?
No Estimations. Exact Results.
- Only impedance is used to determine your body composition results; no statistical data or empirical equations are used or required to predict your body composition.
- Measure your fat, muscle, and water levels in less than a minute. No dunking. No pinching. No discomfort. Simply stand on the device and hold the hand electrodes to test.
- Non-invasive and pain-free testing
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis
Safe, low-level currents are sent through the body through the hand and foot electrodes. The impedance the currents encounter are measured, and from there, your body composition is derived. With InBody’s patented technology, BIA has never been more highly correlated with gold standard methods until now.
Each InBody Test will print out a full-page results sheet detailing the muscle, fat, and water values of the user. The InBody scan provides you with lean mass and fat values in each segment of the body to give you a proper assessment of body composition.
Segmental Fat And Lean Mass Analysis
Identify how many pounds of lean mass and fat are in each body segment. This can be utilized to determine how specific diets and exercises are affecting the body composition.
Injury Identification
You can identify and track inflammation, swelling, and even injuries with ECW/TBW Analysis while monitoring how this ratio changes over time under the Body Composition History chart. Call us today to schedule your assessment!
Understanding Nicole’s Neck Pain
One of the most common things we hear from our patients is that their pain started for “no apparent reason.” Like Nicole, people will wake up with a crick in their neck or notice a stiffness turning when driving in the car. It is also common for people to notice tightness in their upper back and neck after a long day.
So, what is actually the source of the pain? In most cases, there is an issue with the neck joints or the neck muscles due to prolonged positions. Our neck joints don’t like remaining in any position for extended periods. In Nicole’s case, she first noticed her pain in the morning, which may have been related to her neck position while sleeping. It is also important to note that in Nicole’s case, the first sign of any issue was in the morning when she woke up, unrelated to stress.
As Nicole’s day progressed, her pain got worse. But this also was more likely related to how she held her neck while driving or sitting at her computer. In both cases, her posture, specifically how she held her neck, seems to have contributed to her pain. Prolonged sitting can lead to a forward head position, resulting in tension to soft tissue (i.e., muscles, tendons, and ligaments) or negative changes to our blood flow.
The muscles of our neck function best when we move them. So, holding her head in one position likely led to irritation of the muscles and affected her ability to move her neck, which in turn caused stress.
Stress “contributes” to neck pain because, when we experience stress, our bodies naturally respond by tensing up as a protective measure. This tension can lead to discomfort, particularly in the neck and upper back region. Research studies have found that individuals with higher stress levels reported increased neck pain as compared to those with lower stress levels. This is why we say “contributes” to, but not the cause of, neck pain.
How Physical Therapy Can Help Alleviate Neck Pain
We will target the source of your pain by performing a thorough examination, starting with your medical history and details about how, when, and where your symptoms began. As we saw with Nicole, determining how, when, and why the pain started helps us eliminate possibilities and get to the actual root cause(s).
Our therapists will also analyze your posture and movement to identify any limitations or restrictions contributing to your condition. We’ll use this information to design a program that addresses your specific needs.
Our treatment plans focus on relieving your pain and improving your posture, mobility, strength, etc., and educating you about managing your symptoms. Your program will likely include manual therapy (i.e., soft tissue work and/or joint mobilizations), targeted stretches, exercises, activity modification, or posture recommendations.
We’ll listen to your unique situation and specific issues and then work to help you find relief and get back to your normal routine.
Book Your Appointment Today!
If you’re dealing with neck pain or looking for someone to help you figure out what is causing your issues, call us today and set up a consultation!
Refer A Friend & Get A $25 Gift Card!
Do you know someone who could benefit from physical therapy? Tell them about PerformaX and if they become a patient, we’ll send you a $25 Visa Gift Card! It pays to refer friends and family to PerformaX!
What is the TPI Golf Assessment?
Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) has created a golf assessment to screen for physical mobility or stability deficiencies that may negatively impact your game. Identifying key areas of weakness or inflexibility “timely” enough, will give us time to provide you with a program to correct the defaults, improve your game and prevent the injuries that result from these imbalances and compensations.
What Happens During a PMX® TPI Assessment?
The Assessment will take up to an hour. Following a brief health screening, we’ll begin the physical test. Come dressed comfortably and ready to participate. You will be led through a series of fitness movements that are key components of the golf swing. We’ll go over your results with you to assure that you have an understanding of how your findings might be impacting your golf performance.
Is it Right for Me?
A PMX TPI Assessment is not just for those who have been previously injured or know that they have a physical limitation. To schedule an appointment in the PMX Golf studio with one of our pros, call us today.
New England Clam Chowder
Ingredients:
- 19.5 oz chopped clams in clam juice 3 x 6.5oz cans
- 8 ounces clam juice
- 6 slices thick cut bacon chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 ribs celery finely chopped
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 ¼ pounds russet potatoes peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes, approx. 3 ½ cups
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Oyster crackers
- chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
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Drain clam juice from cans into a measuring cup. Add enough bottled clam juice to equal 2 ½ cups. Set aside.
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In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until fat is rendered and slightly brown. Remove half of the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. To the remaining bacon and drippings, melt in 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat.
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Increase heat to medium high and add celery and onion. Saute for 5-7 minutes or until onions are soft. Add potatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes (if using) and sauté 30 seconds. Sprinkle in flour and cook an additional 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth, reserved 2 ½ cups clam juice, chicken bouillon, bay leaves and all seasonings. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are very tender.
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Stir in heavy cream and bring to a simmer to heat through. Discard bay leaves. Remove from heat and stir in clams. Taste and add salt/pepper to taste. (You may or may not need additional salt depending on how salty your clams and bacon are.) For a thinner or less chunky soup stir in additional heavy cream/milk or chicken broth.
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Top individual servings with reserved bacon and oyster crackers and fresh parsley if desired.
