According to the Mayo Clinic, neck pain is the 4th leading cause of disability. Yearly episode rates of neck pain are above 30%. One final statistic here…of those with neck pain, nearly 50% will go on to develop chronic neck pain. Don’t want to be that 1 in 2 with chronic neck pain?…Read on for some tips.
Personally, neck pain, stiffness/soreness, and/or associated pain/numbness/tingling radiating into the arm is probably the 2nd most common reasons that patients come to my clinic seeking help.
For those individuals who may be living with neck pain….
You may be asking, how can I get over that nagging neck pain? OR if you are someone without neck pain, how can I avoid it?
Well, I have 5 simple tips for you today to help you prevent or beat neck pain.
- Be mindful of sitting in the same posture or position for hours on end. This means getting up to MOVE away from your computer, electronic device, or your work station. Long periods of low strain can result in pain
- Find a good supportive pillow such that your neck is not falling down into bed or being pushed up too far by thick pillows. Sleeping 6-8 hrs in a “poor” neck position could result in you waking up with a stiff neck
- Be careful to not yank or strain aggressively with your head or neck tilted away from what you may be pulling. It may not seem like much, but yanking with your head looking away is one common element in people reporting neck pain with associated pain radiating into their arm. What happens to cause this? Basically, this position results in a “traction” injury to the nerve pathways running from your neck, through your shoulder and down your arm. Take my word on this….You do not want to experience it.
- Avoid prolonged looking down, whatever the task may be (similar to #1). While I generally do not like to implicate any specific structure of the spine, long bouts of sustained neck flexion (looking down) can place excessive strain on the cervical discs. This not only can cause pain but… think about that older person you know or saw that can no longer lift their head to look up. Some changes cannot be undone.
- When stretching your neck does not help, it is time to do something else. Often people with neck pain feel stretching is the answer. However, it only results in short term relief, so they will continue to stretch. Only no positive change ever really happens. This is because your neck is actually overstretched and needs to be strengthened instead. Now that may not be you, but chances are it is.
If you have been living with neck pain for more than 3 weeks, now is time to get help. The most critical time for recovering is within the first 6 weeks. Remember I mentioned chronic neck pain happens to about 50% of people? 3 months is often the designated transition point between subacute to chronic.
Don’t you wish to live life without neck or arm pain? Looking for more information on how to beat neck pain? If so, you are looking in the right spot. You now have a special opportunity to receive a Free Copy of my book on Neck and shoulder pain as often the 2 are closely linked together. All you have to do is click on the link below to get your copy today.
Have some questions?
Post a reply to start a dialogue or call my office 717-440-6197 for more information
I had no idea that neck pain is the 4th leading cause of disability. I appreciate your tip to be mindful of sitting in the same posture or position for hours on end to reduce neck pain. I’ll have to be sure to find a better pillow so my neck is supported properly!
A comfortable pillow can absolutely make or break a restful night’s sleep. Posture is important, but more importantly movement in general is good and necessary for good joint and muscle health.
These are some great tips for dealing with neck and back pain. It’s interesting that when stretching your neck doesn’t help, that means your neck needs strengthening. Would I go to a chiropractor to strengthen it, or someplace else?
That is a good question of who is best to address this issue. Ask 5 people and you will likely get 5 different answers. In truth, physical therapists are the leaders in conservative musculoskeletal management. PTs have the skill set to integrate manual therapies including massage and specific joint movement while integrating specific exercise based on addressing the person as a whole to address the specific issue at hand. Plus, the goal of PT is for patient empowerment to teach the patient to manage and overcome said issue and reduce reliance upon any practitioner for relief. For individuals dealing with neck issues, this profession should be your 1st stop unless serious concern for the integrity of the spinal structures (i.e. fracture).
I often suffer from a sore and stiff neck… now I realize that my job has me sitting and staring at a screen for hours at I time I need to be more aware of this. Good posture, movement and stretching are important and it’s easy to forget this in the grind of the day.
Best advice so as to not forget is set a timer on your watch or cell phone so that you get up, move, do something to break up the static posturing of sitting at a computer all day.
Great suggestions and there is an awakening point as well. Bearing the pain for more than 3 weeks can be so harmful and must rush to specialists before it gets worst. This helps a lot in getting rid of the pain in the initial stages itself. Thank you for sharing the awareness.