Is your occupation and workspace putting undue strain on your cervical spine and neck muscles. If so, occupational therapy from the health experts at WorkPartners Occupational Health can help.
Ergonomics and Occupational Health
Ergonomics and occupational health go hand in hand. Ergonomics work to adjust the workspace to fit the worker, in other words, making the workplace comfortable and proper to increase efficiency and the health of the worker. Be it standing at a bench, sitting at a computer, or something else, how your head, neck, and shoulders are positioned through your workday impact your health.
While lower back pain plagues millions of American workers, neck pain comes in as a close second. Your head weighs about 12 pounds. Suspend your head in an awkward position for eight hours or more, and neck pain can easily develop.
Fortunately, neck pain can often be fixed with corrections to the height of your computer chair, employing a headset rather than using a shoulder-held phone, and adjusting your monitor to eye level. Some people prefer standing workstations to sitting on a chair, which can increase comfort. However, for intense and prolonged neck pain, you need expert help.
Occupational Therapy Can Treat Your Neck Pain
Here’s how occupational therapy can help. First, a complete medical examination will be used to determine the reason for your neck discomfort. Do you have a degenerative condition, such as osteoarthritis? Did a fall at work damage the vertebrae in your cervical spine? Are repetitive motions, such as hammering, impacting your neck, shoulders, arms, and hands? Your occupational therapy specialist will ask you specific questions, perform a hands-on examination, and perform digital imaging tests, as needed.
With a correct diagnosis in hand, they can comprise an individualized treatment plan to address your neck pain. Chiropractic care, physical therapy, and occupational therapy all happen on-site at WorkPartners Occupational Health. You may need one, two, or all these kinds of treatments.
Regarding occupational therapy specifically, our OT experts can evaluate your work habits and physical environment. They will suggest how to minimize the strain on your neck, shoulders, wrists, hands, and lower back.
Also, they offer ways to do specific tasks more efficiently. As you follow an occupational therapy treatment plan, you’ll understand your personal abilities and limitations. In other words, you’ll work smarter and better, and manage or eliminate your neck pain.
Additionally, your physician and occupational therapist may determine you need OT at our occupational health facility in Grand Junction, CO. On-site interventions for neck pain can include:
- Heat and cold therapy
- Neck bracing and strapping
- Massage therapy
- Learning posture exercises to reduce strain on the neck and lower back
- Utilization of proper body mechanics when sitting, walking, and lifting
- Learning stretching exercises specific to your occupation
- Strategizing methods of injury prevention
Our occupational therapy providers are smart and caring. Not only are they highly trained and experienced in their profession, they also have the expertise and talent to come up with the right workplace solutions to alleviate your neck pain problems for good.
Occupational Therapy for Neck Pain in Grand Junction, CO
Please contact WorkPartners Occupational Health in Grand Junction, CO, for an in-depth consultation on your work-related neck pain. We have a lot of success with working adults in a wide range of occupations.
Contact us today to schedule your appointment by calling (970) 241-5585, or use our online appointment request form. We look forward to seeing you soon.
