Physiotherapists in Fulham treat many different conditions including the issues profiled below.

Managing Acute Neck Pain

Most neck pain episodes which come on suddenly (acute neck pain) are managed by the sufferer independently and this is the best approach. The initial approach is to take some painkillers to reduce the pain levels to a more manageable state. Painkillers cannot abolish the pain completely, but simply allow the person to get moving and stay active in the early period rather than being forced to rest. It is quite safe to take the recommended painkillers, they don.t mask the pain so much that a person can damage themselves without knowing. It is important to take the drugs appropriately.

It is recommended to take the painkillers every four to six hours as advised in the instructions and to do this for several days, even if the person feels better now and then. Stopping taking them too soon means the pain flares up again at some point, inhibiting movement and recovery. Taking the painkillers regularly allows the build up of the drug levels in the blood which keeps the pain suppressed. People often stick it out until the pain becomes more severe but this is unhelpful as it is harder to relieve a pain than to prevent it developing.

Function of the Upper Neck

The upper cervical spine is designed to hold the weight of the head and to facilitate the postural steadiness and positional changes required in our heads so we can communicate and gather the necessary information from our sensory organs. Most of our most important sensory organs are part of our heads so we need to have a stable and adaptable platform to gather accurate data so we can make accurate decisions. The upper neck vertebrae are wide to bear the forces of having a skull on top of the long column which is the neck. The deep and superficial muscles combine to allow long periods of relatively static posture to be maintained so we can keep our attention on something like a movie or the road when driving.

The position of the facet joints in the upper two vertebrae and the occiput are adapted particularly for rotation and much of the ability to turn our heads comes from these upper few joints. Turning the head is an extremely important function as it allows us to focus our eyesight on something to one side or another of us and to calculate whether it is a threat or an opportunity.