Neck and shoulder pain

Neck and Shoulder Pain is a common complaint we see as Osteopaths and Chiropractors. Very often these two issues come hand in hand, with shoulder pain due to the neck, or neck pain caused from the shoulder.

Our job is to get to the root of WHY you have Pain in the first place. This requires a thorough examination to look at your:

The causes of Neck and Shoulder Pain are very broad and could be due to past trauma, compensations to micro injuries, tension relating to Eye strain, referred pain from the Jaw amongst other factors. Shoulder pain can have a multitude of causes from Nerve impingement, muscle imbalances or irritation of structures over time.

Want Help to Decide if we are Right For You?

Why do I Hurt?

There are two reasons to get “…..” Pain. Firstly, if there is true damage to the joints, muscles or other hardware structures. This is why the first step in our process is to rule out any Structural issues.

Without the presence of any “Damage” Pain is due to protection of the Brain and Nervous System (Often from Past Injuries).

Pain is here a protective response gone wrong. Our job is to find out why and get you on the road to recovery.

Why Us?

We don’t just use massage and manipulation to “manage” or “reduce” symptoms. We solve the puzzle of pain to get you back to 100% and Pain Free as fast as possible.

We also teach you to how to help yourself. Our patient portal has educational content on exercises, health and wellbeing and pain education.

Should I Exercise for my Pain?

In the early stages, our job is to get you ready to exercise. The common issue is that people try out exercises TOO soon. We need to first make sure you are “at the start line”. This means making sure the Brain and Body are not protecting you and tightening you up to compensate from past injuries.

Once we have got you to this point (Stage 4 in our 5 step process) we utilise our Patient Portal Website to give you the specific exercises you need.

What If I have been told I have Arthritis?

More often than not, this does not mean you have to live with Pain! Even when you have been told you have Wear and Tear or Arthritis, we always encourage a free assessment for a new perspective on what can be done to help.

Neck Pain FAQs

What causes Neck Pain

Neck Pain is a common complaint in the Clinic and be caused by a lot of factors. Tension in the muscles surrounding the area are prone to getting protectively tight, leading to the joints becoming stiff, irritated and inflamed. There can also be compression of nerves within the neck, disc injuries and many other issues.

BUT… Our job at Cardiff Pain & Performance is not to tell you WHAT is happening, but WHY. Very often these neck muscles get tight because they compensate for problems elsewhere.

So to create lasting relief of Neck Pain, we will assess and locate the source of your issue, considering your Stress, Lifestyle, Diet and many other factors also.

How to cure neck pain fast?

To cure neck pain you first need to know WHY It is happening. Sadly, many patients present to the clinic having received short term relief from massage and manipulation. This just tells us that the neck pain is not the problem, but the solution. Once we have identified the root cause, we can then use our Unique 5 Step Process to get you back to Pain free – FAST.

Can neck pain be a sign of something serious?

In rare cases, neck pain can be a serious problem linked to Fractures, Spinal cord compression, Concussion and other serious problems. Our job as Primary healthcare practitioners is to take the time to listen to your story, examine you thoroughly and rule out any serious problems before we consider if treatment is right for you. If we are concerned, we will often refer you back the GP with a Referral letter.

Can neck pain cause headaches?

Neck Pain often does cause Headaches, but Headaches don’t always cause neck pain. The small muscles in the base of the spine are often the cause of Tension Based headaches, felt like a band of tension in the base of the Skull. By finding out how to get the Nervous System to relax these muscles, we have a very high success rate treating acute and chronic headaches.

What is the best treatment for neck pain?

The best treatment for Neck Pain depends on the cause. What works for one, will not work for another. The body is highly unique and has a great capacity to adapt and compensate for past injuries. This is why we take the time to do a thorough assessment. We then will apply the appropriate intervention for your individual needs and put you on a specific plan for your own cause. For example, for one person we may need to consider the link to the Eyes, the balance system or the low back as the cause of your individual Neck Pain.

What should I do for neck pain that has lasted more than 6 months?

If Neck Pain has lasted for more than 6 months, it is sadly not likely to resolve itself. This pain has now become “Chronic”. Chronic pain is different to the pain you would get if you strained your neck for example. When you do this, there is an inflammatory process that takes 2-3 weeks to finish, once finished, pain should go away. However, if pain continues after healing has finished > Something has gone wrong!

Your Brain is keeping the pain to protect you. At this point we recommend coming into the Clinic for an assessment, as we are experts in Chronic Pain. There is often no need for an X-Ray or MRI scan as there is often no damage, and no trauma to the neck, yet the pain is continuing.

Should I see a chiropractor or osteopath neck pain?

Here at Cardiff Pain & Performance we are all trained to expertly analyse the Neck, and work in a very similar manner. Our background training in Chiropractic and Osteopathy then led us to train in further fields from world leading experts in Movement and Neurology. You will therefore find that we don’t tend to work like “conventional” Osteopaths and Chiropractors who need to “Click” Joints for relief.

Shoulder Pain FAQs

What causes shoulder pain?

Shoulder pain is a common complaint in the Clinic and be caused by a lot of factors. Tension in the muscles surrounding the area are prone to getting protectively tight, leading to the joint becoming stiff, irritated and inflamed. It is also common to irritate the tendons, leading to tendonitis, compression of fluid filled sacs called Bursas, and get nerve compression leading to pain or tingling in the arm. Frozen shoulder is a less common issue where the Shoulder gets extremely stiff and painful over time

BUT… Our job at Cardiff Pain & Performance is not to tell you WHAT is happening, but WHY. Very often these Shoulder muscles get tight because they compensate for problems elsewhere.

So to create lasting relief of Shoulder Pain, we will assess and locate the source of your issue, considering your Stress, Lifestyle, Diet and many other factors also.

How to relieve shoulder pain?

To cure Shoulder pain you first need to know WHY It is happening. Sadly, many patients present to the clinic having received short term relief from massage and manipulation. This just tells us that the Shoulder pain is not the problem, but the solution. Once we have identified the root cause, we can then use our Unique 5 Step Process to get you back to Pain free – FAST.

How to sleep with shoulder pain?

Finding the most comfortable position to sleep in with Shoulder pain can be tough, but there is no right or wrong way. Playing with pillow position and angles is a matter of trial and error to get comfy. Our job is of course to reduce the pain, allow sleep to become more comfortable in order to get rest, and allow healing to continue.

How long does shoulder pain last?

An acute injury to any area, including the shoulder, should take around 2-3 weeks to heal. This is the time it takes for Inflammation to finish, and pain to reduce. So if you have pain lasting longer than 4-6 weeks, something has gone wrong. Your brain is now creating pain to protect you.

In the acute phase, e.g if you fall on your shoulder, we use Red Light Laser Therapy to encourage healing.

In the chronic phase, we need to take a deep dive into WHY your Brain is maintaining pain to protect you, and make an individualised plan to get you back to 100% fast.

Can a Chiropractor or Osteopath help with shoulder pain?

Absolutely, as Osteopaths and Chiropractors we are trained to diagnose and treat shoulder pain. Our unique 5 step process has been made to take you from initial assessme.

What exercises help with shoulder pain?

Exercises for Shoulder Pain (or any pain) are always helpful, and we are big advocates of movement when in Pain. BUT… Very often the Brain has “put the brakes on” and is keeping muscles tight to protect you. Therefore we often feel patients aren’t “at the start line” to start exercises until the Brain is less protective of the joint. This is why we created our 5 Step Process to guide you through
Hands on treatment > Movement > Strengthening.

What should I do if my shoulder pain has lasted more than 3 months?

Get it checked! Any Pain that lasts more than 3 months is unlikely to go of its own accord. This is because by this point, most injuries should mostly healed. We now need to assess and find out why your Brain is maintaining pain to protect you.

Neck and shoulder pain