Expert Neck Pain Physiotherapy

Neck pain can be debilitating, whether it’s a sharp pain that limits movement or a persistent ache that never fully goes away. It can affect your ability to work, exercise, and even sleep, making everyday tasks more difficult and uncomfortable. If left untreated, neck pain often worsens over time, leading to stiffness, tension, and ongoing discomfort.

At Move Physiotherapy, we specialize in evidence-based treatment to relieve neck pain, restore movement, and prevent it from returning. Our hands-on techniques provide immediate relief for acute pain and stiffness, helping you move more freely from your very first session.

However, effective neck pain treatment goes beyond just symptom relief. Long-term neck pain is often linked to weakness and poor movement control, which is why our treatment approach focuses on building strength and stability in the neck and upper back. By addressing the root cause of your pain, we help you achieve lasting results and prevent future flare-ups.

Understanding Neck Pain: Causes and Diagnosis

At Move Physiotherapy, we take a comprehensive approach to diagnosing neck pain. Our assessment begins with a detailed history to understand when and how your symptoms started, along with any work-related or lifestyle factors that may be contributing. We then perform movement and mobility tests to assess stiffness, muscle imbalances, and postural strain, allowing us to pinpoint the underlying cause of your discomfort.

Neck pain may develop suddenly due to an injury or trauma, or it may progress gradually from repetitive strain or poor posture. Long hours at a desk, frequent phone use, or a forward head position can lead to muscle fatigue, tension, and stiffness, which are often the driving factors behind chronic neck tightness. In these cases, hands-on therapy can provide short-term relief, but with long-term aches and pains we require a strengthening solution to eliminate this pain completely.

Muscle tightness in the neck, shoulders, and upper back can result in a widespread, relentless ache and restricted movement. In contrast, joint stiffness in the cervical spine often presents as a sharper, more localized pain, making it difficult to turn the head freely. More complex conditions, such as bulging discs or cervical nerve compression, may cause referred pain, tingling, or numbness that radiates into the arms and shoulders.

Neck ligament injuries are most commonly associated with trauma, such as sporting collisions, motor vehicle accidents, or whiplash-related injuries. These cases often require a longer recovery period, and without proper assessment and treatment, they may lead to persistent pain and mobility issues.

By identifying the root cause of your neck pain, we can create a personalized treatment plan that not only provides immediate relief but also helps prevent future flare-ups. Our goal is to support your long-term recovery, improve movement, and ensure lasting results.

How We Treat Neck Pain at Move Physiotherapy

At Move Physiotherapy, our treatment will focus on both immediate relief and long-term recovery. Our treatments combine hands-on therapy, targeted rehabilitation exercises, and strength-based rehabilitation to not only reduce pain but also restore movement and prevent future flare-ups.

For many people, neck pain is caused by muscle tightness, joint stiffness, or nerve irritation. To provide immediate relief, we use manual therapy techniques such as soft tissue release and massage to ease muscle tightness in the neck, shoulders, and upper back. Joint mobilisation and spinal manipulation help improve movement and reduce stiffness in the cervical spine, while dry needling can relieve deep muscle tension and promote relaxation. These techniques work together to reduce pain, improve flexibility, and restore normal movement.

While hands-on therapy can relieve symptoms, lasting relief comes from addressing the underlying cause of neck pain. For chronic or recurrent neck pain, strengthening the neck, shoulders, and upper back is key. A structured rehabilitation program includes targeted strengthening exercises to improve posture and spinal support, mobility drills to increase flexibility, and progressive loading to build resilience and prevent future injuries. By gradually strengthening these areas, we reduce the likelihood of future flare-ups and help restore normal function.

At Move Physiotherapy, we believe in educating our clients so they can take control of their recovery. We provide self-management strategies, including personalised exercise programs to maintain mobility and prevent stiffness, as well as regular reassessments to track progress and adjust treatment as needed. Our goal is not just to treat neck pain, but to ensure it doesn’t come back. With a combination of evidence-based treatments and active rehabilitation, we help you return to pain-free movement and long-term function.