Neck pain has become far more common with desk work and phone use. It is usually mechanical — coming from the joints, discs and muscles of the neck — and it often travels into the shoulders, upper back or head.

What it feels like

• Stiffness and restricted turning, often worse on one side
• Ache across the top of the shoulders and between the shoulder blades
• Headaches starting at the base of the skull and spreading forward
• Pain, pins and needles or numbness travelling down an arm
• Symptoms worse after a day at a screen, or on waking

Common causes

• Sustained postures — long periods at a screen or looking down at a phone
• Facet joint irritation in the small joints of the neck
• Disc irritation, which can refer symptoms into the arm
• Muscle overload in the neck and shoulder girdle
• Whiplash following a car accident
• Cervicogenic headache — headache driven by the upper neck joints

How physiotherapy helps

• Manual therapy to the neck and upper back to restore movement, including joint mobilisation
• Deep neck flexor and scapular strengthening — the muscles that hold the head and shoulder blades in position, and the part most often missing
• Workstation setup: screen height, chair, keyboard position, and how often you change posture
• Headache-specific treatment where the upper neck is driving the headache
• Dry needling or massage therapy for persistent muscle tension
• Laser therapy or electrotherapy to help manage pain alongside active treatment

What to expect at your first visit

Your physiotherapist examines how your neck moves, tests the joints and muscles, and screens the nerves supplying your arm. If your headaches are involved they will check whether the upper neck reproduces them. You will leave with an explanation of what is going on and a small number of exercises to start.

When to see a doctor instead

See a physician promptly for neck pain after a significant accident or fall, or with fever, unexplained weight loss, progressive weakness in an arm or hand, problems with balance or walking, difficulty swallowing, or visual disturbance.

Booking an appointment

You do not need a doctor’s referral to see a physiotherapist in Ontario. Some extended health plans ask for one before they will reimburse you, so it is worth checking your policy.

We are at 2600 Skymark Avenue, Building 3, Unit 102, Mississauga, open Monday to Friday 9:00 AM – 10:00 PM and Saturday and Sunday 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, with free parking. See our fees or call 647-998-4727.

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This page is general information, not medical advice. An assessment with a registered physiotherapist is the way to find out what is causing your symptoms and what will help.