‘Pain in the neck’ is a common neck problem complaint. As a society, our posture has continued to decline as the use of phones and computers has increased. Poor posture can lead to many neck injuries. Think back to the times when you have fallen asleep in an awkward position and had the unexpected pleasure of waking up to a “crick in your neck.” You know when you have an aching neck it makes it very difficult to turn your head to check your blind spots when driving, bend your neck forward to check your cell phone, or enjoy knitting or crocheting without discomfort or pain.
Now let’s say you’re like most people who think “oh, it’s not that bad”. When not handled appropriately and immediately, this small “crick” in your neck can lead to tension headaches, facet joint (the junction between two neck vertebrae) dysfunction, and the inability to perform daily tasks safely. The tension headaches develop as the muscles continue to tighten and pull at the base of the skull, which in turn can become quite debilitating and can prevent us from being able to enjoy our time playing with our young ones, and being present at family dinners. Facet joint dysfunction can occur when the muscles have tightened so much that they have caused the vertebrae to get out of alignment and become stuck under one another. This limits your range of motion in many directions. Think about not being being able to turn your head in one or both directions when driving. This not only puts you at risk but the other many drivers on the road as well.
**Good News! Physical Therapy can address many of these ‘pain in the neck’ problems. It’s important to remember that in order to address any kind of pain or discomfort for good, you need to handle the root cause of that problem. In most cases, the root cause of neck pain is tightness and bound up muscles in the neck. Heat, massage and medication will handle this discomfort temporarily, but not permanently. Physical therapy is an effective and conservative treatment option to relieve your aching neck FOR GOOD!
Common Causes of Neck Discomfort and Pain:
- Sleeping in a compromised position. Before you go to bed each night, it’s important to think about which position provides you with the most comfort and spinal support. For instance, those who sleep on their side tend to need additional pillows to prop their head up so it stays in line with their spine.
- Improper Posture. When someone is constantly in a forward head position, or when they have to rotate their head in one direction for an extended period of time, they risk adding additional stress to the neck muscles.
- Sports. Athletics can also be a main cause of the “crick” in your neck, especially sports that involve quick and aggressive movements of the shoulders and neck, such as golf and tennis.
- Improper setup. This could be a work station, your television at home or even your phone in your hand. Each of these activities should be done with proper setups in order to help avoid any achy neck issues. Work stations should be set up to minimize all discomfort.
If you’re dealing with any kind of neck pain or discomfort, CALL Loudoun Sports Therapy Center at 703-450-4300 TODAY. Our Physical Therapists will begin helping you to alleviate your pain so you get back to the things you enjoy most.
For more information on common causes of neck pain and a self-assessment you can try, CLICK THE LINK: https://loudounsportstherapy.com/video/self-assessment-neck-problems
CLICK HERE for more on how physical therapy can help you.
