Physical Therapy Relieves Mechanical Neck Pain

A survey of approximately 32,000 Americans has revealed that more than 33 percent of adults and 12 percent of children use alternative medicine. The results, released by the NIH's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, does not support an argument about the effectiveness or safety of alternative treatments -- only their popularity. Patients with musculoskeletal pain are being urged by the American Physical Therapy Association to receive treatment from a physical therapist to relieve their symptoms. According to the APTA, physical therapy is time-tested and there is more evidence supporting its effectiveness compared to alternative treatments.

For example -- study results in the October 15, 2008 journal Spine indicated that patients with mechanical neck pain who received up to 6 treatments of manual physical therapy and exercise experienced significant pain relief and were less likely to seek additional medical care for up to one year following physical therapy. Mechanical neck pain is caused by wear and tear on the parts of the neck -- usually starting from degenerative changes in the disc. Physical therapy is a conservative osteoarthritis treatment option but its potential effectiveness should not be underestimated.

Related Resources:

• Natural Remedies for Osteoarthritis
• Exercise Helps Osteoarthritis Patients
• Massage Therapy Helps Relieve Pain
• Physical Therapy Goals for Arthritis Patients
• Physical Therapy Can Be First Line of Defense for Knee Osteoarthritis

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