Most muscle strain pains can subside after a few days of rest, posture adjustment, and light exercise. However, if the pain persists or appears with abnormal signs, patients need to be examined and consider physical therapy to avoid complications.
According to rehabilitation graduate Tran Huu Loc, working at the Daytime Treatment Unit, University Medical Center Hospital of Ho Chi Minh City (facility 3), if shoulder and neck pain does not improve after 1-2 weeks even after resting, hot compresses, massage or using common pain relievers, this may no longer be a simple muscle strain. The cause may be related to deep muscle stiffness, imbalance of the neck-shoulder muscle group or limited neck spine movement. Physical therapy will help assess posture, range of movement and build appropriate exercises to reduce pain and restore function.
Another sign to pay special attention to is pain spreading from the neck down to the shoulders, arms or hands, accompanied by numbness, tingling or weakness when holding. This may be a manifestation of nerve root compression due to cervical spondylosis, herniated discs or other neurological diseases. In this case, the patient should not bend their neck, stretch or massage vigorously because it can make the injury worse.
Stiff neck, difficulty turning around, bowing or tilting your neck is also a sign that the neck and shoulder joint system is working poorly. If this condition persists, patients are prone to reduced range of motion and recurrent pain. The physical therapy program will focus on improving joint flexibility, increasing the strength of the supporting muscle group, and guiding safe exercises.
According to experts, many people have a habit of only massaging or using medicine when they are in pain and then ignoring the root cause. This causes pain to continuously recur due to wrong working posture, using the phone too much, inappropriate pillows or little exercise. Physical therapy not only helps reduce symptoms but also adjusts posture, builds the right exercise habits to limit recurrence.
Patients should also see a doctor if shoulder and neck pain affects sleep, work, daily activities or require regular pain medication.
In particular, it is necessary to go to a medical facility immediately when signs such as sudden severe pain, obvious numbness and weakness in the hand, post-traumatic pain, accompanied by dizziness, loss of balance, fever, unexplained weight loss or increased pain at night appear.
Experts recommend that neck and shoulder pain is not always just muscle fatigue due to working a lot. Physical examination and intervention at the right time will help control pain effectively, restore motor function and reduce the risk of chronic pain.
