Living with degenerative disc disease in any part of the neck can be pretty challenging. For instance, it can cause your neck to crack a lot and distract you from tasks you’re doing. However, this and other symptoms can be managed with proper treatment.
Degenerative disc disease symptoms may be eased with physical therapy. Physical therapists offer safe, effective care to patients of all ages who have this and other neck problems. Their expertise allows them to help people find effective ways to reduce stress on the neck and discs. They can also help you make daily life with degenerative disc disease more manageable.
How can physical therapy make living with degenerative disc disease in your neck easier?
There are many ways that physical therapy can help make living with degenerative disc disease in your neck easier. Here are five of them:
- Helps decrease pain — Chronic pain in the neck can result from degenerative disc disease. Your pain can be reduced with physical therapy methods such as myofascial release and manual therapy.
- Increases mobility — One common goal of physical therapy is to increase the flexibility of the neck muscles. Your physical therapist can work toward this goal in several ways. Some of them include educating patients on how to do gentle strengthening exercises, stretches and range-of-motion exercises.
- Reduces stiffness — Reduced stiffness can help lower pain levels and prevent further injury. That’s why it’s a common goal of physical therapists when treating degenerative disc disease. Your physiotherapist can ease stiffness with techniques like therapeutic exercises and instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM).
- Assists with boosting muscle strength — Physical therapy can help increase muscle strength in your neck. This can increase neck support and put less pressure on degraded neck discs, which can go a long way toward making daily life easier. Physical therapy can even help you gain the strength to turn your neck more quickly or reach objects above your head.
- Improves posture — Physical therapists can teach patients of all ages proper body positioning for sitting, standing, walking and lifting objects. Learning about proper neck alignment when doing such daily tasks can help your symptoms in many ways. For instance, you may experience fewer pain flare-ups.
Living with degenerative disc disease in the neck does not have to be unbearable when you have a licensed physical therapist committed to your recovery.
Whatcom PT can help those living with degenerative disc disease in their neck
If you’re done coping and living with degenerative disc disease in the neck on your own, our team at Whatcom Physical Therapy is here to help. A free screening of your neck can determine the best management plan for you. Your physical therapist will design a program that can help reduce pain and create more neck mobility.
Contact our team today for more information on our neck pain treatments or to schedule an initial appointment.
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