• Other causes include sports injuries and whiplash, rheumatoid arthritis and cervical disk degeneration.
• Some patients may be experiencing pain in other areas of their body such as their upper back, arms or shoulders, which could be sourced to the neck.

David Gray Osteopath provides treatment for neck pain.

• Whether you are experiencing pain as a result of whiplash from a car accident, or a sports injury.
• David can create an effective treatment programme and provide long term relief.
• David a professional Osteopath will always identify the cause of the problem before suggesting a suitable treatment.
• The treatment programme for neck pain may include Soft tissue massage, muscle stretching, joint articulation, acupuncture and manipulations, exercise or a combination.

• We apply soft tissue massage to soften muscle tension with positional release for the fascia.
• We may follow this up with articulation and manipulation for joint release where necessary.
• We also use gentle Cranial Osteopathic techniques to rebalance the rhythmic function of the spine and cranium.
• Recommended exercises for correcting poor posture are also a part of treatment and consultation.

• Muscles at the back of your neck must always be tensed, otherwise your head would fall forwards when you are sitting or standing.
• When these muscles work too hard or are not strong enough, it can cause neck pain and tension headaches.
• People who are worried or under stress often sub-consciously tighten their muscles more than is necessary to hold their head upright.
• Tension headaches are very common and are often wrongly called migraines.
• Working at a computer station and sitting slumped with head forward loads the neck muscles and may create tension headaches.

• A road traffic accident is certainly a shocking and disturbing experience.
• Even minor whiplash injuries can be extremely painful and as a result it is human nature to think that some long-term damage has been done. However, permanent damage is often rare and in most circumstances damage does not extend to the bones, discs or nerves.
• Many people only develop pain a few days after the accident, which can be attributed to the trauma that the ligaments and muscles have been subjected to.
• It is extremely important, however that if you have a violent accident and you are suffering from intense pain, you should go to Accident and Emergency, to ensure that there is no serious damage.
• This is particularly important if you have been unconscious, have experienced visual disturbances, pins and needles, numbness or weakness, or indeed had any difficulty walking. X-rays and MRI scans can detect any serious spinal injuries.
• Although the pain can subside after a few days, it is the damage to the muscles and ligaments that an osteopath can help with.
• Osteopaths such as David, have the knowledge and skill to assess your neck and also will investigate how the rest of your body has coped with this recent trauma.

• This wear varies from person to person.
• The discs become thinner and this causes the spaces between the vertebrae to become narrower.
• Also, 'spurs' of bone, known as osteophytes form at the edges of the vertebrae and the facet joints.
• In a way this is a particular form of osteoarthritis but it is known as Cervical spondylosis.

• It may happen after sleeping or sitting in a draught or perhaps after a minor twisting injury, for example while cleaning or gardening.
• The underlying cause for this type of neck pain is not fully understood, so it is called 'non-specific neck pain'.
• Having non-specific neck pain does not mean that your neck is damaged permanentley and often it happens in people whose necks would appear completely normal under an x-ray.
• If it doesn’t resolve within a couple of days it is wise to have an examination and treatment before the body begins compensating with altered posture.