surgical treatment

Joint and Post-Surgical Treatment

Physical Therapy Services For Head And Neck Pain

Joint pain can be frustrating and even debilitating. When typical pain treatment does not help improve symptoms, physical therapy may help. It can also help patients recovering from surgical treatment regain their range of motion. Our physicians may recommend this treatment in combination with medication, surgical treatment or other therapies.

What Is Physical Therapy?

Physical therapists help with the rehabilitation of movement and function of the body and can help patients manage chronic pain, improve mobility or heal after surgery or injury. At Virginia Ear Nose and Throat, our therapists specialize in various physical therapies, including those involving the head and neck.

Who Can Benefit From Physical Therapy?

According to the American Physical Therapy Association, up to 50% of adults will experience neck pain in a year. This kind of pain causes daily challenges and can be difficult to manage. Patients often turn to physical therapy to find relief from a variety of conditions and symptoms, such as:

  • Headaches

  • Head injuries

  • Neurological conditions

  • Neck injuries

  • Concussions

  • Tight neck muscles

  • Infections

  • Bad posture

  • Stress

  • Lack of sleep

  • Neck tumors

  • Head and neck cancer treatment

Types Of Physical Therapy For The Head and Neck

The goal of this treatment is to help patients return to their everyday life with ease of movement and without pain. Therapists may recommend techniques to help reduce pain and inflammation or exercises for restoring mobility and strength.

Therapy can help improve your ability to rotate the neck and head from side to side and up and down.

When the neck is weak, therapists will use exercises aimed at strengthening the muscles and joints and building endurance.

Pain relieving techniques include manual therapy, compression garments and exercises. Manual therapies include massage, mobilization and stretching, and moving or applying pressure to a specific area of the body.

Successful treatment depends on what you do outside of therapy, too. Our therapists will train you in at-home exercises and instruct you to pay attention to posture and how you move throughout the day.

Physical Therapy After Surgical Treatment

Patients may experience various challenges after head and neck surgical treatment. In addition to relieving pain, post-surgery therapy focuses primarily on restoring function. Typically, treatment starts just days after surgery. Therapy is an important part of healing from surgery and can help reduce pain and speed up recovery.

Customized Treatment For Every Patient

Before beginning treatment, your therapist will access your range of motion and pain level and discuss what you hope to achieve from therapy. Our therapists take an individualized approach to care and will create a customized treatment plan to help you build confidence and get back to the activities you love. Though progress may feel slow, it is important to follow your therapist’s instructions to ensure that you do not hurt yourself. An important part of physical therapy includes performing at-home exercises between sessions to retrain your body’s movements as effectively as possible.