The problem with neck pain
Neck pain always seems to come on so suddenly …
and when it does, you’ll want to know how to relieve it quickly and effectively.
However, often it just creeps up on you and it is hard to know what caused it. This is the type of neck pain that the medical field helpfully refers to as ‘non-specific neck pain’!
Thankfully though, there are specific things you can do to help relieve it …
How to relieve neck pain – First some background.
The human head weighs approximately 10 or 11 pounds and accounts for about 8% of your total body weight. It’s only 2 or 3 pounds lighter than a tenpin bowling ball!
That’s quite an object to balance on your neck. However, when you watch a young child first learning to sit upright their heads seem so beautifully balanced. It’s an indication that the bad postural habits you adopt as you grow older can take their toll.
Unfortunately, neck pain is more common in people who spend much of their working day at a desk with a ‘bent-forward’ posture. It is very common too. Two out of three people are thought to experience neck pain in their adult lives, and after the age of 45, about 1 in 5 people are thought to have neck pain problems at any given moment.
Posture is a major factor in causing neck pain. But too often overlooked causes of discomfort are; inadequate support for the neck while sleeping, and emotional and psychological stresses.
So, how can you relieve neck pain?
Firstly consider how you are set up at your office desk. There are a number of things you need to get right, but here are some of the most vital.
Make sure your seat is adjusted so that your feet are flat on the floor and your knees are level with your hips. Also, make sure you have plenty of support for your lower back because poor lower back posture starts a chain reaction to the neck. You can also try a neck treatment from a chiropractor for a long-term relief.
Also make sure that your mouse is kept close to you, that you are square on to the keyboard and computer terminal and that your screen is the right height for your natural eye line. Most importantly, if you can, stand up and move at regular intervals.
Importance of stretching
Clearly, it is going to be beneficial to stretch the neck itself. The following link illustrates three simple neck stretches.
But in addition to stretching the neck, you should look to open up the chest by doing pectoral muscle stretches. Also, particularly in times of stress, the trapezius muscles can get very tight. This can put a lot of strain on the neck and create pain. Massage is a great way to relieve that type of tension.
My final and possibly most important tip is to check in with your emotions. Ironically, it could be psychological, not physiological factors that are creating the problem. I’d highly recommend researching into basic meditation or mindfulness as a possible remedy.
We hope this information is useful for you. If you have any questions about our treatments, please contact us. You can find us in Islington and Mill Hill Broadway. If you like this blog, please share!
We are always happy to help.
