Neck Pain

Below is advice to reinforce what we may discuss in clinic, this is intended to be used as a simple guide and should not replace professional medical consultation. If you are worried about your symptoms we encourage you to consult your GP.

What can cause neck pain?

Common causes are:

  • Posture – i.e. sitting at a desk for a long time, using tablets/phones for a long time, sitting on very soft surfaces like sofas/beds to read/watch television, looking straight ahead whilst swimming/road cycling

  • Awkward sleeping positions

  • A ‘pinched nerve’ or ‘trapped nerve’ nerve injury

  • Bony changes like arthritis

  • An injury – for example, after a road traffic accident, sports injury or fall

Homecare tips for neck pain

 

Do

 

✔︎ If you have been prescribed medication from your medical professional, continue to follow their recommendation

✔︎ Keep your neck moving in the range that is pain-free


✔︎ Use a single, low, firm pillow


✔︎ Try hot/cold

  • This means something like a heat pack, a hot-water-bottle, or ice-pack on the painful area

  • Keep on area for no more than 10 minutes at a time to allow the temperature of your skin to return to normal before reapplying as necessary

  • If using any hot/cold packs cover in a towel/t-shirt or use over clothes

✔︎ Try neck exercises below

❗️See a GP if

✔︎ You have other symptoms like changes to your vision/ dizziness, burning pain or pins and needles into the shoulder and arm, weakness in the arm/hand or a cold arm – this could need more investigation.

 

Don’t

 

✘ Do not try to immobilise your neck – it's better to keep your neck moving (unless a doctor tells you not to)

✘ Don’t force your neck into the pain

✘ Don’t roll your head in full circles

✘ If you cannot safely look over your shoulder to reverse/ check your blind spot, don’t drive

✘ Remember, direct exposure to extreme heat/cold can damage your skin - do not fall asleep on ice/hot-water bottles or leave them for a long time directly on your skin.

Simple neck exercises

 

These are intended to give you relief from neck pain, if any are painful to do, do not force them.

 

  • Try gently looking side to side

  • Try tucking your chin in - trying to give yourself a ‘double-chin’

  • Try smoothly rolling your shoulders

  • Try shrugging your shoulders up to your ears then dropping them back down

How to prevent neck pain

 

Do

 

✔︎ Invest in a good mattress, -and good pillows

  • Think about how much you invest in a mattress for your back, how about your neck?

✔︎ Sit upright with chin slightly tucked in–

  • Try Practising -squeezing your shoulder blades together, then relaxing them

  • Think about a plumb line - ears directly above shoulder, shoulders above pelvis

✔︎ Move often!

  • Your body needs movement for essential function and your joints need movement for nutrition and lubrication

✔︎ Scrutinise your workspace

  • Is the computer at a good height for me?

  • Am I leaning forward or over my work?

  • Am I having to reach far forward for the keyboard/mouse/controls?

 

Don’t

 

✘Force yourself to stay still or in static ‘good posture’ - it will likely get tiring, and sore

✘ Do not sit for anything over 30 minutes without moving/ getting up

✘ Do not sleep with lots of thick pillows,

  • if when lying face-up, your pillow is forcing your chin to your chest or when lying on your side, your uppermost ear is leaning to your shoulder, the pillows are too high

✘ Do not sleep on your front,

  • this forces your neck into a rotated position for long periods of time, it may stress the ligaments and irritate joints

Treatment for neck pain

Effective treatment for neck pain aims to ask the right questions to tackle the problem. Starting by reducing your pain, then helping you learn home-care techniques- how to strengthen and adopt best behaviours. Good treatment should also consider your mental health- a healthy outlook aids recovery.

 

Massage Therapy

Massage and manual therapy treatments, such as manipulating the spine and surrounding joints (the shoulders and upper back may often be overlooked in neck pain) can help reduce your pain and discomfort, making it easier to tackle exercise and recovery.

Exercise

Homecare exercises or group exercise classes such as strength and conditioning or pilates where you're taught exercises to strengthen your muscles and improve your posture can help to restore function.

Outlook

If you are struggling to cope with the effect of neck pain on your life, psychological support, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) may be beneficial. This can have a huge impact on recovery and remaining injury/pain free. Mental health is often underestimated when dealing with a physical condition.

N.B. Northwest Massage Clinic does not provide CBT services but can make suggestions for self-referral