At our clinic, Fellows of the Canadian Academy of Manipulative Physiotherapy (FCAMPT) carry out evaluations and physiotherapy for neck pain. They use a global physiotherapy evaluation to identify the sources of your neck and arm pain and observe your body posture to evaluate the movement habits of the neck and upper body. FCAMPT physiotherapists apply their detailed knowledge of the body anatomy — joints, muscles, nerves, ligaments, and fascia — to movement testing.

In addition to FCAMPT assessment, the other experienced physiotherapists on staff at Global Physiotherapy have advanced training from the Orthopaedic Division of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association. The one hour assessment and treatment session allows for a thorough evaluation of your neck and arms.

Cindy Coneen has more than 30 years of orthopaedic and manual therapy experience and has encountered many different clinical presentations of headaches, neck pain, and arm pain. This experience contributes to our “big picture” view on neck pain. The location of your pain is not always the only anatomical cause of symptoms. We can also identify symptoms by:

• Wry neck: you woke up with a very stiff neck that is painful and difficult to move
• Neck sprain: when from sport, it is an acute or subacute injury
• Longer lasting pain and movement limitations: can be due to posture habits
• Arm pain or tingling: nerve irritation from the neck

Hands-on evaluation of the neck and arms is key to creating a personalized treatment plan to resolve your pain and movement problems. We will complete a precise assessment of your neck and upper body and provide you with initial treatment at your first consultation.

We will design the specific type of physiotherapy for neck pain for your combination of movement limitations and pain.

See treatment options for acute, sub-acute, and chronic conditions.

Manual Therapy

Manual therapy uses a hands-on approach to restore normal mobility to the neck facet joints, muscles, nerves, and fascia. We use precise techniques to evaluate and treat the upper neck to improve your ability to check blind spots while driving. Improving the mobility of the upper neck also helps relieve headaches and arm pain.

The middle of the neck moves differently from the upper neck. The muscle and adjacent tissues can become thickened and tight. They require repeated precise stretching to return to normal mobility. We can also identify and treat abnormal muscle control of the mid-neck with manual therapy.

Spinal Manipulation

Our FCAMPT physiotherapists use specific and safe manipulations of the neck. We use special tests to determine if spinal manipulation is the right treatment for you. The manipulation or adjustment is a quick, localized thrust on the joint to restore normal mobility. Depending on the direction of movement, you may or may not feel a “click” as pressure is released in the joint. The base of the neck, where the neck joins the upper back, often benefits from manipulation to improve mobility. This is a very safe area for a quick localized joint adjustment.

Laser and Regenerative Photon Therapy (RPT™)

We use a unique system developed in Toronto, Ontario, that includes a precise, adjustable infrared light laser and a combination of red and infrared light probes to promote tissue healing and relieve pain. Treatment for head and neck pain provides same-day pain reduction. We often use the RPT therapy system in first treatment sessions to assist with the manual therapy, spinal manipulation, and exercise components to resolve your neck pain.

Gunn Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS)

Many people need to spend hours working in front of a computer, which contributes to poor head and neck posture. Over time, muscles in the neck, upper back, and arms become shortened. This leads to poor nerve supply to these tissues and compressed joints. IMS is a specific technique taught at UBC based on C. Chan Gunn’s treatment. Acupuncture needles are inserted into tight muscles to create a chemical and reflex response to assist muscles to lengthen. This treatment often provides quick improvement in neck and arm pain.

Medical Acupuncture

Cindy Coneen completed a five-month, detailed medical acupuncture course at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. This course is more comprehensive than the Acupuncture Foundation of Canada basic course that many physiotherapists in Sherwood Park and Edmonton have completed. Medical acupuncture improves circulation and nerve function in the neck and upper body. We use our detailed assessment results to provide effective and precise acupuncture treatments.

For more information on physiotherapy for neck pain, please contact us.