Back & Neck Injuries

Back and neck injuries are incredibly common. More than 80% of American adults will suffer with back pain and/or neck pain at some time during their lives. For the lucky ones, back pain or neck pain is no more than a mild annoyance. But for others, back pain or neck pain can be quite disabling. It can keep you from your job, your regular activities and some of the best things in your life… unless you take advantage of the pain-relieving, life-restoring back/neck pain treatment at Yadkin Physical Therapy.

Advanced care for the best possible results

We use a combination of targeted manual therapy, customized exercise programs, spinal mobilization, electrical stimulation and hands-on therapy to achieve back pain relief and improve your function. We have vast experience providing pain relief for people with:

Common neck injuries

The most common neck injuries, also called cervical spine injuries, and causes of neck pain include neck fracture, herniated disc, neck sprain, muscle strain and whiplash-associated injuries. A neck injury is often caused by accident, neck trauma, falls, degenerative changes in the spine or a combination of factors.

A whiplash injury often includes a set of symptoms caused when your head is thrown first into hyperextension and then thrown quickly forward into flexion, typically in an auto accident. It may also be caused by sports injuries, falls or other neck trauma. Whiplash injury is not a medical diagnosis, but can lead to diagnoses that include strains, herniated discs and damage to joints, which in turn may irritate spinal nerve roots or the spinal cord, causing nerve symptoms.

Symptoms of a whiplash injury can include neck pain, numbness, tingling, weakness or other electric-like sensations that may shoot down one arm. Stiffness, dizziness and disturbed sleep are other symptoms that may occur in the days following your whiplash event.

You can also have neck pain from a “stinger” or a “burner.” Named for how they feel, stingers and burners are temporary neck injuries that affect the spinal nerve root (brachial plexus) and are often suffered by football players, though they occur in other contact sports, as well. Stingers and burners may be caused by sudden tilting of the head or when the head and shoulder are forced to move in opposite directions at the same time. Symptoms include burning, stinging, numbness/weakness, warmth or electrical sensations down one arm.

Common back injuries

Back pain and back injuries often occur during sports or recreational activities, work-related tasks or home projects. Back pain can occur anywhere from your neck (cervical spine) all the way down to your tailbone (coccyx). This includes the bones and joints of the spine (vertebrae), the discs that separate the vertebrae and act as shock absorbers, and all the muscles and ligaments, which hold your spine together.

Back injuries frequently occur when you use your back muscles to lift a heavy object or perform yard work, or when you trip, fall a short distance or excessively twist your spine. Severe back injuries can occur during auto accidents, falls from significant heights, direct trauma to the back or top of the head, a high-energy fall onto the buttocks (caused by slipping on ice or snow), or penetrating injuries such as stab wounds.

Things that increase your risk for back pain and injury include aging, a family history of back pain, sitting for long periods, lifting or pulling heavy objects, and degenerative diseases such as osteoporosis. Slumping or slouching may increase low back pain after your back has been strained or injured.

Low back pain also occurs in children and teenagers, but they are less likely to see a doctor for treatment. Most back problems occur in adults aged 20 to 50. Back problems in children under 20 and adults over 50 are more likely to have serious causes.

Discover effective back pain and neck pain relief and so much more at Yadkin Physical Therapy. Call 336-677-1800 or use our convenient Request an Appointment form. We welcome patients from Yadkinville, Hamptonville, Elkin, Mocksville, Lewisville, Boonville, East Bend, Jonesville and close-by locations.