It should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyways – evidence shows the treatment that targets a specific classification of neck pain (mobility deficits, headaches, sprain, etc.) has better outcomes than just general treatment for neck pain.
So what does a typical person who has a stiff neck (neck pain with mobility deficits) look like?-
- Younger than 50 years old
- Acute neck pain lasting less than 12 weeks
- Symptoms are only in the neck (referred pain may or may not be present)
- Restricted neck range of motion
- Limited mobility of the cervical (neck) and thoracic (mid-upper back) spine
For patient’s who match this criteria for neck pain with mobility deficits, we should match our treatment accordingly…
