You wake up feeling like you barely slept. Your head pounds, your neck feels stiff, and it’s already hard to focus. As a neck pain doctor in Nevada, I see this pattern all the time.
Most people think these headaches are just from stress or sleep issues. But the real root of the problem might be hiding in plain sight—your neck.
What if your daily headaches are actually warning signs from your body? And what if your neck is sending the message loud and clear?
Let’s uncover what’s really going on and how you can finally get lasting relief.
Causes of Neck Pain and Headaches and At-Home Exercises You Can Do for Relief
When you deal with daily neck pain and headaches, it can feel like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders—literally. The truth is, your cervical spine might be sending out distress signals, and if you’re not addressing the root cause, those signals only get louder. A neck pain doctor can help you interpret those signals.
Understanding the Common Causes of Neck Pain and Headaches
Neck pain often develops from a mix of mechanical stress, poor movement patterns, and muscle imbalances. You might be surprised how often posture is the trigger behind headaches that start at the base of your skull and creep forward.
Here are some of the most common culprits we see in physical therapy:
- Poor posture, especially from prolonged sitting or tech use
- Muscle weakness and tightness in the cervical spine
- Cervical radiculopathy or a pinched nerve
- Spinal stenosis or narrowing of the spinal canal
- Joint restrictions or bone spurs in the neck
- Previous injuries from a car accident or fall
These issues irritate the soft tissues, nerve roots, or even the spinal cord itself. That leads to a stiff neck, chronic pain, or other symptoms like headaches, tingling, and limited range of motion.
How a Neck Pain Doctor Approaches Relief Through Physical Therapy
Physical therapists are trained to treat neck pain without the need for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or surgery. Instead of recommending surgery, we use movement and hands-on techniques to find the source and guide your body toward lasting relief.
During a physical examination, we assess your posture, muscle function, connective tissue restrictions, and more. We use your complete medical history and risk factors to build a personalized care plan.
This means we can often relieve pain and restore strength using conservative treatments. No minimally invasive surgery. No prescriptions. Just focused, functional care.
You don’t have to keep living with daily pain or guesswork. At Green Physical Therapy in Summerlin, we’re ready to help you take control and find lasting relief.
Request your appointment today or call us at 702-935-9740 to schedule your first appointment. Let’s get you moving without pain again.
At-Home Exercises to Treat Neck Pain and Reduce Headaches
You can start working on relief today with a few simple exercises. These target the muscles around your cervical spine, support better posture, and take pressure off irritated nerve roots.
Chin Tucks
This exercise strengthens deep neck flexors and decompresses your cervical spine.
- Sit or stand tall with your shoulders relaxed
- Gently pull your chin straight back without tilting up or down
- Hold for 5 seconds, repeat 10 times
Upper Trapezius Stretch
Tight upper traps are often involved in tension headaches.
- Sit upright and gently tilt your head to one side
- Use your hand to apply light pressure
- Hold for 20 seconds and switch sides
Levator Scapulae Stretch
This one targets the muscle connecting your shoulder blade and neck.
- Sit tall and turn your head 45 degrees toward your armpit
- Place your hand on the back of your head and apply gentle pressure
- Hold for 20 seconds and switch
Scapular Squeezes
These help train better posture by activating the muscles that stabilize your spine.
- Sit or stand with arms at your side
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together as if pinching a pencil between them
- Hold for 5 seconds, repeat 10 times
Neck Isometrics
Great for building strength without aggravating your symptoms.
- Place your hand on your forehead and gently push into it
- Repeat with hand on the side and back of the head
- Hold each for 5 seconds, repeat 5 times each
When to See a Physical Therapist for Neck Pain Treatment
If your symptoms linger longer than a week or seem to be getting worse, it’s time to get professional help. A doctor of physical therapy can run a physical exam, assess for spinal cord compression, and even refer you for imaging tests like X-rays or a CT scan if needed.
You don’t have to wait until your pain becomes unmanageable. If you’ve been told your only option is cervical spine surgery or a trigger point injection, let’s talk first. Seeing a neck pain doctor might help you find relief with a targeted treatment plan that avoids surgery altogether.
Don’t ignore your symptoms. The longer you wait, the harder your body has to work to compensate, and that can lead to chronic neck pain.
Physical exercise can help you treat neck pain with movement and give you a clear path toward healing.
Green Physical Therapy Is Here to Help You With Neck Pain and Headaches
At Green PT, we don’t believe in temporary fixes. You deserve real solutions for neck pain and headaches that won’t keep coming back.
We Treat the Real Cause of Your Pain
Many individuals come in after trying everything: heating pads, ice, massages, injections, and even medications. But the relief is short-lived because those options don’t address the root cause.
We look deeper. We evaluate posture, movement patterns, muscle strength, and range of motion. Then we create a plan that helps your body move forward and heal.
We Build a Plan That Matches How You Live
Every treatment plan starts with your goals. Whether you want to sleep better, work without pain, or train without setbacks, we help you get there.
Using a complete medical history, a hands-on physical examination, and functional testing, we build a program that restores strength, control, and balance in your neck and upper back.
We Use Techniques That Work Without Surgery
You won’t need surgery or injections to get results here. Instead, we treat neck pain using evidence-based physical therapy techniques like:
- Postural retraining and thoracic spine correction
- Manual therapy including traction, joint mobilization, and massage
- Soft tissue release with cupping and instrument-assisted tools
- Targeted strength training for deep neck flexors and scapular stabilizers
- Flexibility work for the chest, neck, and shoulders
- Nerve glides to calm down sensitivity and help with arm symptoms
- Functional and sport-specific drills to get you back to the things you love
Each step helps relieve pain, improve movement, and restore confidence in your body.
We Teach You to Move With Confidence Again
You’ll understand what caused your neck pain and how to stay pain-free long term. We teach you the right ways to move, load, and challenge your tissues so they grow stronger, not more irritated.
Soreness can happen during recovery, but with the right guidance, that soreness means progress, not setbacks. We walk with you through every phase of healing.
Take the First Step Toward Relief Today
You don’t have to keep living with daily pain or guesswork. At Green Physical Therapy in Summerlin, we’re ready to help you take control and find lasting relief.Request your appointment today or call us at 702-935-9740 to schedule your first appointment. Let’s get you moving without pain again.