Neck pain. It’s the worst!
It can come about in a number of ways! Sleeping funny, craning your neck for a period of time, even using your arms repetitively and poor posture at the desk or on your phone can add kilos of extra weight/force through the neck joints (ouch!).
We are like a pair of tweezers and what we do with our arms, unfortunately, puts force through the base of the neck too!
Though it may seem wise to push through the pain, it’s important we seek help before it gets unbearable!
Here are some myths about neck pain:
1. It hurts because “something’s out in my neck”
The joints in the neck deal with a lot of different stressors which means it is built quite rigid with many ligaments, tendons and muscles surrounding it – this means that for something to be “out of place” is in most cases is an exaggeration as severe displacement of vertebrae in the neck is a very rare occurrence!
2. I need to prevent all movement in my neck while the pain persists!
Like most things, too much and too little movement with injury can be bad news – that’s why it’s important to consult with your osteopath regarding useful exercises/movements for your particular case!
3. My neck is going to need an x-ray!
X-rays and other imaging modalities are a great tool in determining injury – but in many cases, the way the condition is managed is not changed and can, therefore, lead to needless radiation exposure
Neck mobility and stretching – here’s a great example of a stretch through the neck muscles to help with muscle tightness!
Do this stretch in 4 stages –
- sit on the hand on the side you’d like to stretch. Even just grip the chair
- look down with your head
- rotate away from the side you’re stretching
- tilt head gently using the other arm (ear to shoulder) to accentuate the stretch
Not getting much of a stretch?
Plenty of muscle there!
Play with the 4 planes and you’ll find it!
If you suffer from neck pain, watch this video for some more tips.