Neck Pain Clinic

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Neck pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal conditions in the world affecting about two-thirds of the population at some stage of their life (Koes et al., 2007). Patients experiencing upper neck pain will experience neck pain in the upper three cervical segments and can experience neck related headaches in the base of the skull, forehead, temples and behind the eyes. Patients experiencing lower neck pain will experience pain in the bottom four cervical segments and can experience referred pain in the upper back, shoulder blade, shoulder, anterior chest and the upper limb (Misailidou et al., 2010).

Acute neck pain is neck pain that patients have experienced for up to four weeks in duration and can arise from a variety of different cervical structures including: 

• Cervical discs
• Cervical facet joints
• Cervical soft tissues - muscles, tendons, ligaments
• Cervical nerve roots (cervical radiculopathy)

Early intervention with education, exercise therapy and manual therapy (mobilisation and manipulation techniques) provides patients with good outcomes and decreases the chance of acute neck pain becoming chronic (Binder, 2008).

Melbourne Headache Neck and Jaw Clinic our practitioners are highly skilled in the assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of neck pain disorders. We take the time to properly diagnose your acute neck pain and design a personalised treatment plan to suit your recovery needs. We utilise Osteopathy, Dry Needling, The Watson Headache Approach and Joint Manipulation to treat acute neck pain.

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Whiplash associated disorders is a term given to injuries of the neck which are caused by a rapid acceleration-deceleration mechanism such as a motor vehicle accident (Pastakia and Kumar, 2011) or other physical trauma (football tackle, falls etc). Whiplash commonly affects the soft tissues of the neck particularly the muscles, ligaments and tendons.

 Symptoms patients experience include:

• Neck pain
• Shoulder pain
• Headaches
• Dizziness 
• Upper extremity pain, weakness and/or numbness/tingling
• Jaw pain 

It is important that acute whiplash be managed with appropriate early interventions such as patient education, manual therapy and rehabilitation exercises to give yourself the best chance of recovery and limit the chances of developing chronic whiplash.

At Melbourne Headache Neck and Jaw Clinic in Mordialloc, our practitioners are highly trained in the assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of whiplash associated disorder. We take the time to understand your individual condition and design a personalised treatment plan to suit your recovery needs. We us our skills in Osteopathy for whiplash treatment, as well as dry needling and joint mobilisation which helps us achieve long lasting results. 

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Cervical radiculopathy is a neck pain condition which involves compression of the nerves in the neck. Cervical nerve compression is often caused by bone spurs in the neck or herniated discs. Cervical radiculopathy can occur due to a distinct event like a motor vehicle accident or fall or it can come on gradually due to things like prolonged postures and osteoarthritis (Iyer and Kim, 2016).  

Patients will often experience symptoms like 

• Neck pain
• Arm pain and weakness
• Numbness and/or tingling, shooting pains 
• Muscle weakness 
• Diminished reflexes 
• A combination of any or all of the above 

Cervical radiculopathy can be treated non-operatively with osteopathy, neck rehabilitation programs with some studies showing that 90% of patients have good to excellent outcomes from nonoperative management (Iyer and Kim, 2016). 

At Melbourne Headache Neck and Jaw Clinic in Mordialloc, we understand the debilitating effect cervical nerve pain can have on a patient's life so we take the time needed to carefully assess and diagnose cervical radiculopathy. From there we design treatment plans which focus on nerve pain management and increasing a patient's quality of life.  

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