KE: Neck Pain: Patient waiting PT Eval (2-5-19)

  • 3-20-19 Update
    • Pullover feet elevated
    • knee to chest resist knee
    • Theracane introduction in the beginning of the video

Hello Karen. Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I have read through Dr. Ramirez DelToro’s notes prior to putting an initial program together for you. Below are some movements that I want to to attempt. I want you to add a new movement each day to assess your body’s response to each exercise prior to adding a new one. With the neck I encourage individuals to complete each movement lightly. Some of these activities I would like you to complete gently multiple times per day. Any exercise I give you I ask you to assess if the movement causes and increase in pain, decrease in pain, or no change in symptoms. As long as the answer is you feel; slightly better or the same, I would you to keep that movement in the regimen. If you feel a movement is getting more sore the more you do it or you hav significant increase in pain/soreness after, i want you to either attempt to do that movement much more gently or stop doing that particular exercise all together.

  • Movement #1: Deep neck flexor activation
    • This is one of the most highly researched areas of the neck to engage/strengthen to reduce neck pain and weakness
    • I am giving you a seated and lying down option, seated is obviously more convenient and can be done throughout the day, while lying down can be a little safer because the head is supported…try for 5-10 reps following my instructions in the video below
    • seated option
    • Lying down option
  • Movement #2: Shoulder mobility/Thoracic extension
    • If you have small hand weights, the movement is a great way to stretch a strengthen at the same time, it can also be done with a band attached up high that you will see in the video
    • These are two of my favorites as long as they do not cause pain
    • 8-20 reps
  • Movement #3: Postural strength
    • 8-20 reps
    • make sure you do not feel this in your neck
    • It can be done i standing with a band or or your stomach off the edge of the bed
    • Band Option:
    • Off edge of bed option