Facet Join Neck Pain. Help Please?

I work as a white water canoe instructor in the South of France with children and spend a lot of time rescuing them from the water and then rescuing their boats.

Just over a month ago I started to get a stabbing pain in my neck that radiated through my shoulders and was told by the local French doctor that it was just a pulled msucle and given anti-inflammatries, muscle relaxants, sedatives and paracetamol as well as a neck brace. But was considered fit to carry on working by him. However none of this seemed to help (although I probably didn't help myself by carrying on with work)

I came home for a week for an interview and went to see my local GP, who decided that the medication and neck brace were not of any use and that he wouldn't have prescribed them for me and booked me in for an appointment with the physiotherapist.

My appointment was this morning and after 10 minutes of being poked and prodded I was told I had a facet joint problem and my muscles were tensing up to protect it when I was rescuing children from the water which is why I was in so much pain sometimes and relatively none at other times. She recommended ibuprofen and nothing else but said I wasn't fit for work and if it was still painful to go back and see her in a month.

I was wondering if there are any exercises I can do to help my neck rather than just masking the pain with ibuprofen as I really would like to get back out on the rivers as soon as is possible.

Is there anything I can try to help my neck or should I just leave it alone and go back and see her in a month?

Aside from the pain your complaining is there any numbness or tingling sensation you feel anywhere from your arms to hand? making sure that there's no nerve entrapment involve. As u mentioned that there's radiating pain u feel.
If none feel, then you could do a gentle stretching exercises of your neck. lateral neck flexion ( stretch and stop when u feel the pain) and hold it for 7seconds and repeat up to 7 times and progress it to 10 times. If you can do it 2x a day.first thing in the morning upon u get up and one before going to bed.

I was worried about it being a trapped nerve when it first happened, but the physio said that everything was where it should be and nothing had moved, so I assume that means nothing is trapped? I do get the occassional pins and needles but had always just put that down as too much canoeing, but there isn't any numbness.

It's always worse when I'm driving, to the point where I've had to pull over and wait for the pain to stop before I can carry on driving. However I only ever notice it during a canoe session when I am rescuing kids and boats from the water, even a full trunk rotation doesn't irritate it.

Ever since I saw her this morning, I've had a throbbing pain in the middle of my back and it hurts to breathe, I've never had this before, is this normal?

I suggest you to undergo laboratory test regarding this. Taking pain killer will not resolve the root of the pain but only to stop the pain for a moment but as long as the root cause is there, it is possible that it will get worst if no treatment done. X ray or MRI will might help rule out the problem. Physiatrist or Physiotherapist will surely do some physical test to you but then just wonder why they did not give you any treatment regarding this.
I am sorry I can't advise you anything unless your laboratoy test results is normal. There are certain exercises that sometimes contraindications to some sorts of problem that we don't know yet. I will be happy to give you the specific exercises you need to regain the strength of your neck mucsles.