
If you’ve ever slept in an awkward position for longer than you should have, then you’ll be familiar with neck pain. In most cases, neck pain will resolve itself, but in some cases, such as if the pain is present for more than a few hours, you may need to take action. Fortunately, in this day and age, we have a better understanding of how to combat and remedy neck pain than ever before.
In this blog, we’ll run through the ins and outs of neck pain, including the causes, symptoms, and what you can do to get rid of it.
Causes of a stiff neck.
There are many reasons why a person may experience stiffness in the neck. As we said at the beginning of the article, simply sleeping in an awkward position can be enough to cause pain. Sitting in front of a computer with poor posture can also cause neck pain, as can falling or a sudden jolt from a motor vehicle collision. In the world of healthcare, these are called mechanisms of injury.
And guess what? They can be insidious in onset as well! Because there are so many things that can cause neck stiffness, it’s important to work out if the injury is muscular, joint sprain, discogenic pain or if another structure is the culprit. That’s where your Chiropractor can step in and diagnose you.
What does neck muscle pain feel like?
You’ll know that you have an issue with your neck if, simply, your neck feels abnormal in some way. But there are many different types of pain that you may experience. For example, it could feel like general stiffness, or you could have a muscle spasm in neck. You may also have difficulty moving your neck, or there could be a dull ache in a localised area. Hopefully your pain doesn’t refer into an arm or into your chest or upper back, but sometimes it does. This usually indicates the injury is more severe in nature.
Where does a stiff neck hurt?
A stiff neck can hurt “all over”, but it can also be more localised. For instance, you may find that one side of the neck hurts more than the other. In that case, you might find that the stress that the neck is under causes some discomfort on the other side of the neck, too. Though the pain may be most severe in your neck, you may also feel pain in other areas of your body, such as in your shoulders or arms, or have a headache.
Every day stretches that help neck pain
While you may sometimes need professional treatment to overcome your neck pain, in many cases, you can help alleviate the pain by engaging in everyday stretches. Two of the most effective include:
- The side tilt
When seated, keep your head in line with your shoulders, with a straight back. Turn your neck to one side until you feel a stretch, and hold for thirty seconds. Repeat on the other side.
- The shoulder roll
Sit down. Raise your shoulders up, and rotate them forward six times. Then, do the same, but in a backward movement.
Check out some simple stretches and mobility for your neck here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3Ocw5UIpYs
Chiropractic treatment helps treat and prevent neck pain.
The musculoskeletal system is complex, and sometimes, preventive measures and home remedies won’t fix the problem. If you’ve got neck pain that won’t go away, then be sure to get in touch with us here at Waterloo Chiropractic clinic by calling us on (02) 9690 0911 or clicking the ‘Book Online’ button at the top of this page.