Neck pain – causes and considerations
Neck pain is the second most common musculoskeletal complaint after lower back pain in developed countries. The neck, also known as the cervical spine is made up of seven vertebrae, over twenty muscles, several ligaments, vital arteries, veins and nerves. Neck pain can be the result of an injury such as whiplash or can develop gradually over time as a result of poor posture, stress and anxiety, sedentary habits and several other medical causes in the case of non-musculoskeletal pain.
Did you know – the average adult head weighs 5kg that’s more than a newborn baby! Now imagine your head is perfectly centered, that’s 5kg of axial (downward) load running through your cervical vertebrae (neck). Even a small amount of forward head tilt can significantly multiply the forces transmitted through your spine, with a 45 degree head tilt increasing the load by up to a whopping 22kg!
That’s the equivalent of:
22 bags of sugar OR 63 cans of soda!
With more than 4x the normal load transmitted from the head to the neck, your muscles have to work significantly harder and will fatigue much sooner, leading to muscle strains, tightness and a build of muscle knots referred to as ‘trigger points’. As your muscles become tighter, your available motion significantly decreases, which makes joints become stiff as the capsule and ligaments become more rigid.
And this, in essence, is the reason for ‘text neck’ a phenomenon seen more and more by physiotherapists due to the soaring use of smartphones, tablets and laptops, all of which encourage us to hold our neck in sub-optimal positions for long periods of time.
Top tips to help reduce and prevent neck pain
- Regularly move your neck in all directions throughout its full available motion at regular intervals during the day to prevent shortening of muscles and resultant joint stiffness.
- Ensure that your workspace promotes an optimal posture for your head and neck. If you are an office worker this could consist of investing in separate monitors to your laptop to ensure that screens are at eye level or even considering a height adjustable desk so that you can alternate between sitting and standing every couple of hours.
- If you use a smartphone or tablet, either place it on a stand or hold it up at eye level instead of looking down all the time.
- Undertake at least 30 minutes of moderate-intense exercise everyday – brisk walking or jogging encourages an upright posture as well as natural movement of the arms, shoulders and neck – this can help to significantly loosen areas of stiffness, particularly if you sit for most of the day.
- Stretch your neck at least twice a day – start by sitting tall and rolling your chin all the way down to your left shoulder across your collar bone to the opposite shoulder and then rolling up to the top right hand corner, finally finishing with your chin pointing up to the top left corner of the room. Repeat three times in each direction, slowly and gently.
- Strengthen your upper back, neck and shoulders with resistance training. This can be through the use of weights, resistance bands or calisthenic exercises (use of your own bodyweight), including pull-ups, standing rows, planks and side planks.
- Ensure your head is well supported during the night with a comfortable pillow. Know that there is no ‘one size fits all’ for pillows or mattresses. We need to ensure a neutral neck position where the muscles are not being excessively shortened or over-stretched on one side. For most people, a single, medium density pillow will provide adequate support for your neck if you are a side sleeper. For those that have an increased curvature of the spine, a thicker pillow or even two pillows may need to be considered to provide adequate support. In some cases, an ‘orthopaedic’ or firm, contoured pillow may be required to support your neck – if you are unsure of what’s best for you, get in touch with one of our team who will be more than happy to assist.
All the above tips are simple and easy to implement into your daily routine. They may seem quite basic, but the accumulative effects of following these habits everyday will work wonders in reducing and preventing unwanted aches and pains as well as improving your range of movement.
Trust me, your neck will thank you!
If you wish to find out more or if you are suffering with neck pain or tension headaches, book an appointment with one of our expert team who will be happy to help!
Call us on: (03) 9836 7000
Email us: reception@balwynsportsphysio.com.au
Or alternatively book online via:
As ever thanks for reading!
Warm Regards,
Ashley Fowler – Physiotherapist
