Physiotherapy for Neck Pain in Glasgow

Stiff, achy or painful necks are increasingly common – driven by desk work, phone use, poor sleep posture, and old injuries that never quite resolved. The good news is that non-traumatic neck pain responds very well to physiotherapy, and is one of the conditions where hands-on treatment combined with targeted exercise consistently delivers strong results.

Our physiotherapists assess the whole picture -your neck doesn’t work in isolation, and treatment that addresses only the painful area usually disappoints. We look at the cervical and upper back joints, the muscles around the neck and shoulder blade, and how your daily habits might be contributing.

Patients with neck pain typically describe one or more of the following:

• Stiffness and reduced ability to turn the head
• A dull, constant ache at the base of the neck or between the shoulder blades
• Sharp pain on specific movements
• Pain that radiates into the upper back, shoulders, or down the arm
• Headaches that start at the base of the skull
• Tightness across the upper traps that won’t release with stretching
• Pain that worsens through the working day, especially with screen use

Your assessment will look at the movement of your cervical spine in all directions, your posture (both static and during movement), the strength and endurance of the deep neck flexors and scapular stabilisers, the joints and muscles of the upper back and shoulder girdle, and any nerve symptoms referred into the arms. We’ll also discuss your work setup, sleep position, and daily habits…these are often the difference between recovery and recurrence.

Treatment typically combines mobilisations of the cervical and upper thoracic spine to restore movement in stiff segments, soft tissue work on the tight upper trapezius, levator scapulae and suboccipital muscles, and targeted strengthening of the deep neck flexors and the muscles around the shoulder blade.

We’ll give you specific stretches you can do at your desk, advice on workstation setup if relevant, and where appropriate use laser therapy to support tissue recovery. We focus on building habits that protect your neck long-term, not just chasing the symptoms.