Neck pain is a very common musculoskeletal complaint. Neck pain is defined as pain in the back between the base of the skull and the 7th cervical vertebra. It can spread to the back of the head, behind the ears, chin, shoulders and arms. As with many chronic pain conditions, physical therapy and rehabilitation have a very important place in neck pain. It can be said that the therapeutic exercise approach, which is frequently used by physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians in their daily practices, is effective. Therapeutic exercises are exercises that aim to increase the mobility of the person and increase the person's functions in order to prevent or treat problems that cause physical disability. Exercise is one of the most used treatment methods in the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation. It is necessary to evaluate the patient before therapeutic exercise, determine the functional disability, determine the relationship of this disability with the anatomy, and examine it from a kinesiological perspective. Exercise programs are created according to the determined requirements. However, it should not be forgotten that the movement system is a whole; for example, in addition to a single joint limitation, solutions should also be produced for the obstacles and problems that this limitation brings to the person's life. The specificity of the exercise applied is in question.
The goals of therapeutic exercises are to improve the individual's mobility and flexibility, muscle strength, endurance, coordination and skill. The basic basis of exercise therapy is the adaptation of the organism to the load. According to the overload principle, as the load on the organism or tissue increases, adaptation will increase and the targeted development will be achieved.
Neck muscles have a complex anatomy with both static and dynamic functions. In addition to providing statically upright posture of the neck and head, they also provide stabilization of the head during movement. Dynamically, they help functions such as balance, smell, vision and hearing by providing the most appropriate position for the neck and head outside a wide range of motion, and they help stabilization and breathing thanks to the muscles attached to the ribs, collarbone and shoulder blade. In many studies, neck muscle strength of patients with chronic neck pain is lower than that of normal patients. It was found to be low. However, it is a fact that using the neck less than normal due to pain can also cause weakness. But no matter what the relationship is like, this vicious circle must be broken and the neck muscles must be strengthened. While exercise will be effective in a short time through nerve adaptation, muscle tissue changes will take longer. In addition, since patients benefit more from supervised exercises, the most appropriate approach is to start the exercise program in a clinical setting and then continue it as a home exercise program for a long time.
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