Symptoms
Does this sound like you
- Pain or stiffness in the neck
- Trouble turning your head, such as when shoulder-checking in the car
- Pain spreading across the shoulders or between the shoulder blades
- Headaches that start at the base of the skull
- Tight, tender spots in the neck and upper shoulder muscles
- Pain, pins and needles or numbness down the arm
- Neck pain that builds through a day at the desk
Assessment
We start with how the pain began: a fall on the hill, a crash, or a slow build over long days at a desk. We ask about headaches, dizziness, and any pain, tingling or weakness in your arms. Then we check how your neck and upper back move and how well your deep neck muscles work. We also test the nerves that run to your arms. Because long screen days can feed neck pain, we ask how you sit and work.
After a crash or a hard fall, we look for signs of a head or neck injury, including concussion, and refer you on if needed.
Treatment
Treatment matches what we find. It often includes:
- Hands-on treatment: gentle joint movements (mobilization) and soft-tissue work for the neck and upper back, to ease pain and stiffness. See manual therapy.
- Needling: IMS (intramuscular stimulation) and dry needling place fine needles into tight, sensitive bands of muscle to help them release. See IMS and dry needling.
- Exercise: movement to get your neck turning freely, then strength work for the deep neck muscles, shoulder blades and upper back. This is the main treatment.
- Desk and work set-up: practical changes to your screen, chair and breaks.
Massage therapy can also ease muscle tension in the neck and shoulders alongside physiotherapy.
After a crash
Whiplash strains the muscles, ligaments and joints of the neck. Pain and stiffness often build over the following day rather than straight away. Once you have been checked, we start with gentle movement and build up as your symptoms allow.
Getting back to sport
Your neck is ready when it turns freely and copes with the length of a full ride or ski day. On a snowboard, it has to hold your head steady over rough snow and take a fall. On a bike, it has to hold your head up to look down the trail. We build up to those demands in stages.
If you may have had a concussion in the same fall or crash, a doctor or nurse practitioner should clear you before you return to sport.
When to come in
Book an assessment if neck pain or stiffness is not settling, keeps coming back, brings on headaches, or spreads into your arm. After a crash or a hard fall, see a doctor or nurse practitioner first, then book with us.
Go to the emergency department right away, or call 911, if any of these happen:
- neck pain or tenderness after a blow to the head
- severe neck pain after a crash or a hard fall
- weakness, numbness or tingling in your arms or legs after a crash, a fall or a blow to the head
- a sudden, severe headache
- trouble speaking or swallowing
- a fever with a stiff neck
- sudden dizziness, double vision or trouble walking
The people
Who treats it
Partner · PhysiotherapistSport physiotherapy and return to sport · Movement analysis and exercise programming · Complex orthopaedic and post-surgical rehabilitationVillage North · Whistler Athlete Centre
Partner · PhysiotherapistHand and upper-limb rehabilitation · Concussion and vestibular rehabilitation · Sports and spinal injuriesVillage North
Partner · PhysiotherapistComplex neck and back problems · Sports injuries · Concussion and vestibular rehabilitationVillage North
PhysiotherapistPelvic health and pelvic floor physiotherapy · Pre- and post-natal rehabilitation · Sports injuries and post-surgical rehabilitationVillage North · Whistler Athlete Centre
PhysiotherapistRunning injuries · Post-surgical rehabilitation, including ACL and rotator cuff · Concussion and vestibular rehabilitationVillage North
PhysiotherapistACL rehabilitation, with or without surgery · Concussion and vestibular rehabilitation · Running injuriesVillage North
PhysiotherapistSnow sports injuries · Acute sporting knee injuries · Strength and conditioningVillage North · Whistler Athlete Centre
PhysiotherapistPelvic health for men and women · Antenatal physiotherapy · Hip, pelvis and spinal injuriesVillage North · Whistler Athlete Centre
- By referral
Care
How we help
Physiotherapy
Assessment, hands-on treatment and a plan built around your sport, from physiotherapists whose patients compete on the World Cup with Canada's ski and snowboard teams.
Read more ServiceManual Therapy
Joint and soft-tissue mobilization and manipulation from physiotherapists with post-graduate manual therapy training, also called musculoskeletal or manipulative physiotherapy: easing pain by treating the underlying problem, without drugs.
Read more ServiceIMS and Dry Needling
Fine, solid needles placed into tight, tender bands of muscle to help them release, practised here as Gunn IMS or as functional dry needling, depending on each physiotherapist's training.
Read more ServiceRegistered Massage Therapy (RMT)
Manual soft-tissue treatment for pain, muscle tension, spasm and trigger points: restoring mobility and promoting recovery.
Read moreFAQ
The questions we hear most
Should I wear a neck collar after whiplash?
Usually not. Unless a doctor or nurse practitioner tells you to wear one, a soft collar is not advised for whiplash. Holding the neck still can leave it stiffer and slower to recover. Gentle movement within comfort, and a gradual return to your normal day, tends to help more. If the neck pain is severe, or your arms or legs feel weak, numb or tingly, go to the emergency department instead.
Can neck pain cause headaches?
Yes. Joints and muscles in the upper neck can send pain into the head. This headache coming from the neck (a cervicogenic headache) often starts at the base of the skull and spreads toward the forehead or behind one eye. It tends to change with neck movement or long screen days. We check whether your neck is part of your headaches. A sudden, severe headache needs emergency care.
Is my desk set-up causing my neck pain?
Partly. Long hours in one position load the neck, even with a good set-up. A screen at eye level, a chair that supports your back and regular breaks all help. Changing position often matters more than finding one perfect posture. We look at how you work and suggest changes that fit your day, alongside exercises that help your neck cope with long days.
Does IMS or dry needling hurt?
A little. Most people feel a quick prick as the needle goes in, then a deep ache or a brief twitch in the muscle. The area can feel sore afterwards, a bit like after a hard workout. We explain what to expect and check that needling suits you before we start. It is one option among several, and you can choose hands-on treatment and exercise without it.
This page is general information, not a diagnosis or a substitute for an assessment. If you are unsure, see a health professional.