Sure, we’ve all heard of RICE, the mnemonic for four elements of treatment for soft tissue injuries – rest, ice, compression and elevation. However, in an area of the body such as the neck, these minimal procedures may not be enough to get you feeling better. Neck pain is a common ailment, and is listed as one of the top 10 reasons for visiting the doctor.

In completed studies and randomized clinical trials, it has been proven that patients who received both physical therapy and exercise had twice the improvement in symptoms compared to a group using only RICE and gentle range of motion (ROM) activities. This manual PT includes hands-on techniques of joint and soft-tissue mobilization which reduces pain while restoring ROM. In addition, it wasn’t only short term improvements that the patients felt, but long term as well.

Compared to typical physician care, the manual physical therapy option also provides quite a cost savings for the patient – both at the outset, and in the long term (of not having to repeatedly return to a doctor over time!).

If you or a loved one in the Greater Seacoast NH area need physical therapy services, send us a message or give us a call at (603) 501-0581.


Published June 21, 2016 | Posted in Portsmouth PT Blog Posts.

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