Therapeutic Exercise for Neck Pain Disorders

Neck pain is one of the most common conditions treated by physiotherapists and manual therapists — yet many patients continue to experience persistent symptoms despite standard rehabilitation approaches.

Research has shown that neuromuscular control of the cervical spine is significantly altered in people with neck pain, often appearing early after symptom onset. Importantly, these changes do not automatically resolve over time without targeted rehabilitation.

This means that effective treatment requires more than general strengthening or mobility work.
It requires specific retraining of cervical muscle function and movement control.

This practical, clinically focused workshop will guide you through modern rehabilitation strategies designed to restore neuromuscular control, reduce pain, and improve functional outcomes for patients with neck pain.

-      Review of the neuromuscular impairments found  in patients with neck pain disorders

-      Practical session including movement analysis and specific muscles tests for the cervical region

-      Practical session presenting a specific exercise approach for managing cervical neuromuscular dysfunction

-      Practical session including movement analysis and specific muscles tests for the scapular region

-      Practical session presenting an exercise approach for managing axio-scapular muscle  dysfunction

-      Assessment and management of sensorimotor disturbances in neck pain including impaired proprioception,  oculomotor control disturbances and impaired balance. Includes both theory and practical session

-      Overview of the similarities and differences between whiplash-induced pain and idiopathic neck pain and the implications for management

-      Consider the impact of central sensitization on rehabilitation

-      Key principles of evidence based therapeutic exercise for neck pain disorders.

-      Presentation of the overall management of patients with neck pain disorders

Why Attend This Workshop?

Specific neuromuscular exercise programs have demonstrated significant improvements in pain, disability, and function in patients with neck pain.

This workshop bridges the gap between current research and everyday clinical practice, giving you the tools to deliver more precise, effective rehabilitation strategies.

Day 1

09.00 - 10.30              Neuromuscular adaptations in neck pain disorders

10.30 - 11.00               Coffee / Tea break

11.00 – 12.00             Recognition and management of neuromuscular deficits in the cervical region

12.00 - 13.00              Practical session: Assessment and management of cervical    neuromuscular control dysfunction

13.00 - 14.00              Lunch

14.00 - 15.30              Practical session continued:Assessment and management of cervical neuromuscular control dysfunction 

15.30 - 16:00               Coffee / Tea break

16.00 - 17.00              Recognition and management of neuromuscular deficits in the axio-scapular region

Day 2

09.00 - 10.30              Practical session continued: Recognition and management of neuromuscular deficits in the axio-capularregio 

10.30 - 10.45               Coffee / Tea break

10.30 - 11.15              Practical session continued

11.15 - 12.30              Assessment and management of sensorimotor disturbances in neck pain: Proprioception, Postural control, Oculomotor control

12.30 - 13.30              Lunch

13.00 - 14.00              Practical session: Sensorimotor disturbances in cervical disorders

14.00 - 15.00               Central sensitization and the impact on rehabilitation 

15.00 - 15.15               Coffee / Tea break

15.15 - 16.30              Key principles of therapeutic exercise for neck pain disorders

Professor Deborah Falla BPhty(Hons), PhD

Professor Falla is an expert in rehabilitation science and musculoskeletal physiotherapy. Her research utilises state of the art electrophysiological measures to evaluate the control of human movement and how it is affected or adapted in response to various states including pain, injury, fatigue and training. Her research interests also include optimising the management of musculoskeletal conditions with a particular interest in neck pain, low back pain, whiplash and headache.

Deborah Falla received her PhD in Physiotherapy from The University of Queensland, Australia in 2003. In 2005 she was awarded Fellowships from the International Association for the Study of Pain and the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia to undertake postdoctoral research at the Center for Sensory-Motor Interaction, Aalborg University, Denmark. From 2007 to 2010 she was an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Denmark and from 2012 to 2016 she was a Professor at the Center for Anesthesiology, Emergency and Intensive Care Medicine and Institute for Neurorehabilitation Systems, University Hospital Göttingen, Germany.

Since April 2016, Professor Falla is Chair in Rehabilitation Science and Physiotherapy at the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, UK. Professor Falla is also the Director of the Centre of Precision Rehabilitation for Spinal Pain (CPR Spine) which was established at the University of Birmingham in 2016 following a ~£1M investment. She is also a Senior PI for the NIHR Surgical Reconstruction and Microbiology Research Centre (SRMRC) (£6 million received for 2016 –2019). 

Her research utilises state of the art electrophysiological measures to evaluate the control of human movement and how it is affected or adapted in response to various states (e.g. injury, fatigue, training, pain). Her research interests also include optimising management of musculoskeletal conditions with a particular interest in spinal pain. She has published over 145 papers in international, peer-reviewed journals, more than 100 conference papers/abstracts including 30 invited/keynote lectures. Moreover, Professor Falla has delivered over 100 invited post-graduate workshops on the management of spinal pain to health care practitioners in over 20 countries ensuring translation of her research to the benefit of the patient. 

She has received several recognitions and awards for her work including the German Pain Research Prize in 2014, the George J. Davies - James A. Gould Excellence in Clinical Inquiry Award in 2009 and the Delsys Prize for Electromyography Innovation in 2004. Professor Falla is an author of the book entitled “Whiplash, Headache and Neck Pain: Research Based Directions for Physical Therapies” and is co-editor of the 4th Edition of “Grieve’s Modern Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy”; a core textbook of evidence-based rehabilitation for musculoskeletal disorders which brings together the latest state-of-the-art research.

Professor Falla acts as an Associate Editor for Musculoskeletal Science & Practice (formerly Manual Therapy) and the Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology. Since 2016, she is President of the International Society of Electrophysiology and Kinesiology (ISEK). 

Professor Falla’s publications: 

Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Deborah_Falla

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=XDsMg4YAAAAJ&hl=en

St Mary’s Hospital

Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy (Basement Floor), Winston Churchill Wing, St Mary’s Hospital, Praed Street, London W2 1NY

Additional information please add in the venue section  

The Outpatient physiotherapy department is situated at St Mary’s Hospital, in the basement of the Winston Churchill wing, Praed Street, London W2 1NY.

Winston Churchill wing is located off Praed Street and is the first side street on the left (pedestrian only) walking from Paddington station.

Please allow enough time to find the building as it can quite often take longer than expected.

How to get there

Tube

The nearest tube station is Paddington station is 5 min walking (Bakerloo Line, District Line, Hammersmith & City Line, Circle Line and Elizabeth Line)

To check for work on the tube use the Transport for London journey planner please go to www.tfl.gov.uk

Train

The main train services from London to South Wales and South-West England to places like Cardiff, Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth and Swansea. The Heathrow Express runs every 15 minutes.

Buses

Buses that stop outside the hospital are numbers 7, 23, 27, 36, 205, 332, 436, N7, N205

Parking

There are a few parking spaces for disabled badge holders within 200 metres of the department. General parking is very limited at or near the hospitals, charges apply.