Introduction

In the traditional neck pain treatment setting clinicians seem reluctant to strengthen the neck muscles even though research has shown that the deep cervical muscles become inactive due to pain in the cervical area and their activity does not return to normal automatically. Specificity when retraining neck muscles is important and the clinician should understand the changes different neck muscles undergo in the presence of pain and how to effectively assess and rehabilitate these muscles. The deep and superficial muscles of the neck will be reviewed as well as how function changes in the presence of pain. Assessment and rehabilitation strategies for the cervical flexor and extensor muscles will be discussed.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this course you will be able to:

• identify 8 ways in which the function of the deep and superficial neck muscles change in the presence of neck pain
• describe 3 muscle assessment tests for the deep cervical muscles
• plan a treatment and progression program for a patient with neck pain based on a given case scenario

Target audience

This course is aimed at Physiotherapy and Physical Therapy clinicians, students and assistants. Other interested professionals such as athletic trainers, occupational therapists, nurses or medical doctors interested in this subject are also invited to participate.

Practicalities

• Availability - this course is online and can be completed on your own schedule.
• Hours of Learning - No deadlines are applied to this course and it can be started and completed in your own time according to your personal schedule. We expect the required elements to take around 1.5-2 hours depending on your schedule and learning style. Additionally there are many optional resources provided and if you choose to review these the course could take longer to complete.
• Types of Activities - This course includes instructional and/or practical videos, reading activities, AI supported learning activities, reflection, evaluation forms, a quiz and additional resources.
• Certificates - At the end of the course, when you have completed all of the required elements, you will be able to download a certificate of completion and 1.1 Plus points will be added to your personalised learning dashboard.

Instructor financial and non-financial disclosures

No relevant relationships disclosed by instructor.

Accessibility and Non-Discrimination Policy

Physiopedia Plus is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible learning environment for all participants. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, national origin, religion, sex, disability, military status, sexual orientation or age in any aspect of our continuing education services. We are dedicated to ensuring that all learners can fully participate in our programmes. Participants who require accommodations or have special needs are encouraged to contact us with details so that we can make all reasonable efforts to meet these requirements.