What 'cervical syndrome' actually covers
It isn't a single diagnosis but a cluster of symptoms arising from the cervical spine: neck pain and stiffness, pain referring into the shoulder blade or arm, headaches starting at the base of the skull, dizziness, and sometimes numbness or weakness in the fingers where a nerve root is involved.
- Mechanical neck pain from posture and prolonged desk work
- Cervicogenic headache
- Cervical disc herniation or protrusion
- Cervical radiculopathy with referral into the arm
- Myofascial pain in the upper trapezius and levator scapulae
- Stiffness following a whiplash-type injury
- Neck pain associated with stress and muscle over-tension
Our most common patient: 8 hours in front of a screen
Posture on its own isn't 'wrong'. The problem is rarely the position; it's the duration. When the neck stays in one position for hours, the deep cervical flexors weaken, the superficial muscles overwork, and load on the small joints increases.
This is why treatment doesn't end with manual therapy that relieves things temporarily. We work on strengthening the deep neck flexors and scapular stabilisers, and we make practical adjustments to your workstation — screen height, forearm support, break frequency.
How we handle referral into the arm
When pain travels down the arm, with or without numbness, the first job is to distinguish referred myofascial pain from genuine nerve root compression. That distinction changes the plan.
Where radiculopathy is present we use neurodynamic techniques, gentle mobilisation and centralisation exercises, with careful monitoring. If there is progressive muscle weakness or sensory loss, we refer you to a doctor immediately — there are signs physiotherapy should not manage alone.
Headaches that start in the neck
Cervicogenic headache typically begins at the base of the skull and travels toward the temple or behind the eye, often on one side only, and is aggravated by specific neck movements or postures. It frequently responds well to targeted manual therapy of the upper cervical segments combined with exercise.
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