Should I go to a doctor or physio with neck pain?

People will mostly see a physio for neck pain first. Physios are trained to work on muscles, bones, joints and nerves all across the body. The neck is an area of special interest for physios due to the large amounts of people who have neck pain around the Moonee Ponds community. As a result physios in Moonee Ponds have a lot of experience treating a variety of neck pain issues.

What does a physio do for neck pain?

A physio can do many things for neck pain such as hands-on manual therapy, massage, dry needling, stretches, and exercises. The purpose of all these treatments is to loosen up the neck so it can move more freely and heal.

Physios can also help provide tailored advice about your posture, desk set up ergonomics, and teach you how to take care of your neck throughout the day. This way you can work towards not only getting rid of your neck pain but keeping it away. This is the goal of a neck pain physio, to get you better for good.

To learn more about when to see a physio for neck pain check out this blog: https://www.head2toe.com.au/when-should-i-see-a-physio-for-neck-pain/

What if I see a doctor first?

If you see a doctor first it is often the case that you will be sent to see a physio to get treatment. Doctors can help prescribe pain medication to reduce swelling and improvement movement. However, they regularly refer patients to physios as they know the physio will have the most suitable skills to help with neck pain problems. Very rarely is any imaging of the neck required for neck issues unless a break in the bone or a serious issue like cancer is suspected.

For a detailed look at how doctors approach neck pain and how they get physios involved check out this article:

https://www.racgp.org.au/afp/2013/november/neck-pain