Neck / Back Pain / Sciatica

Neck Pain Treatment

Neck pain presents as stiffness, aching, or sharp discomfort in the cervical spine and surrounding muscles. It can range from mild soreness after poor posture—like “tech neck”—to severe, movement-limiting pain following injury or disc irritation. In some cases, nerve root compression leads to cervical radiculopathy, causing pain, tingling, or numbness that radiates into the head, shoulders, arms, or hands.

Common Causes of Neck Pain

  • Muscle strain from overuse or poor ergonomics
  • Prolonged forward head posture (e.g., looking down at screens)
  • Degenerative disc changes or arthritis in the cervical spine
  • Pinched nerves (cervical radiculopathy) with radiating symptoms into the head or upper extremities
  • Awkward sleeping positions
  • Stress-induced muscle tension and spasms
  • Work-place injuries

How a Licensed Physical Therapist Can Help

  • Perform a hands-on assessment of posture, joint mobility, muscle strength, and nerve involvement
  • Explain your condition in clear, easy-to-understand terms
  • Design a customized plan with manual therapy and joint mobilizations
  • Prescribe corrective exercises for strength, flexibility, and posture
  • Offer ergonomic and lifestyle advice to prevent recurrence
  • Use joint ultrasound and NCV/EMG testing by board-certified professionals to pinpoint nerve root compression, assess chronicity, and determine severity for the most precise treatment

Advantages of Physical Therapy vs. Pharmaceutical & Invasive Treatments

  • No Medication Side Effects or Procedural Risks
    Avoids gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, or dependency risks of NSAIDs and opioids, and the infection or anesthesia concerns of injections or surgery.
  • Lasting Pain Relief & Improved Function
    Targeted exercise and manual techniques deliver sustainable improvements, often matching or exceeding short-term gains from injections or meds.
  • Cost-Effective & Empowering
    Teaches lifelong skills—strengthening, flexibility, and posture control—reducing recurrence and future healthcare costs.
  • Precision Diagnostics
    NCV/EMG testing by board-certified specialists identifies the exact location, chronicity, and severity of nerve dysfunction, guiding more focused and successful interventions.

References

  1. Sørensen HT, et al. Upper gastrointestinal bleeding among NSAID users: a population-based study. J Clin Epidemiol. 2000;53(3):387–391. PMC
  2. AHRQ Effective Health Care Program. Effectiveness and risks of long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain. 2014. Effective Health Care
  3. Sterling M, et al. Effectiveness of exercise interventions for preventing neck pain: a systematic review. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2023;53(4):207–216. JOSPT
  4. Middleton SD, et al. Cost-effectiveness of conservative treatments for non-specific neck pain: a systematic review. Spine J. 2017;17(9):1320–1329. PMC
  5. Bolton CF, et al. Accuracy, reliability, and confirmation bias of EMG in radiculopathy. Muscle Nerve. 2016;54(5):727–732. PMC
  6. Narayanaswami P, et al. Diagnostic accuracy of EMG for cervical radiculopathy: a systematic review. Clin Neurophysiol Pract. 2016;1:123–129.

Back pain and sciatica often go hand-in-hand, presenting as aching, stiffness, or sharp, radiating nerve pain down the leg. Back pain may arise from muscle strains, herniated discs, degenerative changes, or poor posture, while sciatica specifically involves compression of the sciatic nerve—causing burning, tingling, or numbness from the low back into one leg.

Common Causes

  • Muscle strains or sprains from overuse or improper lifting
  • Herniated or bulging discs pressing on spinal nerves
  • Degenerative disc disease or spinal arthritis
  • Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal)
  • Piriformis syndrome irritating the sciatic nerve
  • Work-place injuries

How a Licensed Physical Therapist Can Help

  • Conduct a hands-on evaluation of spinal alignment, nerve mobility, and muscle strength
  • Explain your condition in clear, everyday language
  • Develop a tailored plan combining manual therapy (mobilizations, soft-tissue work) with corrective exercises for core stability, flexibility, and posture
  • Incorporate nerve-gliding techniques to ease sciatic irritation
  • Provide ergonomic and activity-modification advice to prevent re-injury
  • Leverage joint ultrasound and NCV/EMG testing by board-certified professionals to pinpoint nerve involvement, assess chronicity, and determine severity—ensuring the most precise, effective treatment

Advantages of Physical Therapy vs. Pharmaceutical & Invasive Treatments

  • No Medication Side Effects or Procedural Risks
    Eliminates gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and dependency risks of NSAIDs or opioids, as well as infection and anesthesia concerns of injections or surgery.
  • Sustained Pain Relief & Functional Improvement
    Exercise-based therapy delivers longer-lasting benefits for both low back pain and sciatica compared to injections or medications .
  • Cost-Effective & Empowering
    Teaches you lifelong skills—strengthening, flexibility, posture, and nerve management—that reduce recurrence and lower future healthcare costs.
  • Precision Diagnostics
    NCV/EMG testing by board-certified specialists identifies the exact location, chronicity, and severity of nerve dysfunction, guiding more focused and successful interventions .

References

  1. Exercise Therapy versus Usual Care for Low Back Pain. Systematic review: exercise therapy improves pain and function over usual care in chronic low back pain .
  2. Physiotherapy Interventions in Sciatica. Evidence supports PT as a first-line, non-invasive treatment for sciatica with meaningful pain relief and functional gains .
  3. Narayanaswami P et al. Diagnostic Accuracy of EMG for Radiculopathy: A Systematic Review. Demonstrates EMG sensitivity of 36–86% and specificity up to 71% for nerve-root compression localization, chronicity, and severity grading .