Many people experience neck pain or stiffness occasionally. In many cases, it’s due to poor posture or overuse. Sometimes, neck pain is caused by injury from a fall, contact sports, or whiplash.
Most of the time, neck pain isn’t a serious condition and can be relieved within a few days.
But in some cases, neck pain can indicate serious injury or illness and require a physio’s care.
If you have neck pain that continues for more than a week, is severe, or is accompanied by other symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.
Causes of neck pain?
Neck pain or neck stiffness can be due to various reasons such as:
Muscle tension and stress
These are mainly due to activities and behaviour such as:
- Poor posture.
- Working at desk for too long without changing your position.
- Sleeping with your neck at a bad position.
- jerking your neck during exercise.
- Muscle strains.
- Worn joints.
- Nerve compression.
- Inury.
Certian underlying diseases such as can be the cause for your neck pain :
- Rheumatoid Arthiritis(RA).
- Meningitis.
- Cancer.
Other causes are :
Poor posture of neck while sleeping with the head on the pillow, involvement in contact sports,motor vehicle accidents.
Symptoms of Neck Pain
- Numbness in the neck muscles
- Tingling sensation
- Tenderness
- Pulsations
- Whistling sounds in the head
- Dizziness
- Light headedness
- Lymph node swelling
When it comes to neck pain its not only the neck muscles that faces problem or causes pain, it may be associated symptoms such as headache,facial pain, shoulder pain, arm numbness or tingling sensation(upper limb paresthesia).
Sometimes more serious symptoms are often result of nerves becoming pinched in the neck region;and is accompanied by symptoms such as upper back /lower back pain,as is common in inflammation of the spine from ankylosing spondylitis.
When to see a physiotherapist?
If the:
- Pain is severe.
- Pain persists for several days without relief.
- Pain spreads down to the atrms and legs.
- Pain is accompanied by headache and numbness.
Exercises for neck pain
Isometric exercise
Exercise is very important for relieving neck pain and treating the spine after injury or surgery.
Stretching exercises can help distribute nutrients into the discs space,joints and soft tissues in the neck.
Stretching should be slow,sustained and lengthening of muscle should be felt.
Side Neck Stretches
Aims upper trapezius muscle.
Procedure:
- Sit up tall with good posture.
- Keep your shoulder relaxed.
- Grasp the bottom of your seat with right hand and with other hand try tilting your left ear towards your left shoulder until a comfortable stretch is felt on the opposite side of the neck.
- Hold the position for 15-20 seconds.
- Repeat the stretch for each side for 5 times.
- Perform it twice daily.
Side downward stretch
Procedure:
- Sit up tall with good posture.
- Keep your shoulder relaxed.
- Grasp the bottom of your seat with right hand and with other hand try tilting your left ear towards your left armpit until a comfortable stretch is felt on the opposite side of the neck.
- Hold the position for 15-20 seconds.
- Repeat the stretch for each side for 5 times.
- Perform it twice daily.
Neck Rotation
Procedure:
- Sit up tall with good posture.
- Rotate your head gently and slowly from side to side.
- Do try to keep motion small do not turn head completely to either side.
- Keep chin level with ground without letting chin drop to the chest.
- Repeat it for 10 times.
- Perform it twice daily.
Neck Flexion
Procedure:
- Sit tall with a good posture.
- Try bend your neck towards your chest until you feel the uncomfortable stretch on the opposite side of the neck.
- Hold the position to 10 - 15 seconds.
- Repeat it 5 times.
- Perform it twice daily.
Neck Extension
Procedure:
- Sit tall with your good posture.
- Try bend your neck away from your chest backwards until you feel a comfortable stretch.
- Hold the position for 10-15 times.
- Repeat it 5 times.
- Perform it twice daily.
Doorway Stretch
Procedure:
- Stand in a doorway with hands and arms out to side.
- Keep your forearm flat on the door frame.
- Take one step forward and feel a comfortable stretch in the chest region
- Repeat it 10-15 times.
- Perform it twice daily.
Neck Flexion resistance exercise.
Procedure:
- Sit up tall in a comfortable position in a chair.
- Do the flexion movement.
- Try bring your chin towards your chest.
- Now with your palm resist the motion.
- Hold it for 10 seconds.
- Repeat it 5 times.
- Perform it twice daily.
Neck Extension resistance exercise.
Procedure:
- Sit up tall in a comfortable position in a chair.
- Do the extension movement.
- Try bend your chin away from your chest.
- Now with your palm resist the motion.
- Hold it for 10 seconds.
- Repeat it 5 times.
- Perform it twice daily.
Static lateral extension to the left
Procedure :
- Sit tall with a good posture.
- With your right hand hold the bottom of your chair.
- Now try to bend your left ear towards your left shoulder and interim resist the motion with your left hand.
- Hold it for 10 seconds.
- Repeat it 5 times.
- Perform it twice daily.
Static lateral extension to the right
Procedure:
- Sit tall with a good posture.
- With your left hand hold the bottom of your chair.
- Now try to bend your right ear towards your right shoulder and interim resist the motion with your left hand.
- Hold it for 10 seconds.
- Repeat it 5 times.
- Perform it twice daily.
Shoulder shrugging
Procedure:
- Stand tall with good posture.
- Raise your shoulder to your ears without rounding your upper back.
- Keep your arms straight as you raise.
- Hold it for 10 seconds.
- Gradually lower your shoulders away from your ear.
Shoulder Blade Squeeze
Procedure:
- Stand tall with good posture.
- Try to bring both the shoulder blades together.
- Hold it for 10 times.
- Make sure you squeeze hard enough to encourage good posture and not create pain or any discomfort.
- Repeat it 5-10 times.
- Perform twice daily.
Prevention
The main cause of neck pain is poor posture,along with age related wear and tear.
To help prevent neck pain you must keep your head centered over your spine.
Some important changes in your daily schedule may help prevent neck pain.
Use good posture:
While standing and sitting make sure your shoulder are in a straight line over your hip and your ears are directly over your shoulders.
Take frequent breaks:
If you travel long distances or work for longer periods in computer,get up move around,stretch your neck, shoulders,it will help.
Adjust your desk,chairs and computer:
Keep the monitor at your eye level.knees should be slightly lower than your hips and use your chairs armrest.
Avoid lifting heay objects:
Avoid carrying heavy bags which puts strain on your shoulder.
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