A stiff neck is one of the most common causes of pain. Every now and then it pops up—sometimes at work—mostly while you’re on your laptop or just watching TV. In some cases, severe neck pain can also cause disability in everyday life and work. Why does this happen?
What’s Causing My Pain?
The most common cause of neck pain is poor posture. We tend to slack when we’re sitting, positioning our laptop or TV at a non-ergonomic level and forcing our muscles to work overtime to hold that posture. The muscles tense up and pain is one of the first signals that our body sends us, asking us to pick up the slack (pun intended)!
There are other causes of neck pain as well, such as trauma (from an accident, fall, or whiplash), stress, a slipped disc, a trigger point in your neck muscles, or just joint degeneration due to aging.
Some Common Symptoms
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Stiffness in the neck
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Pain in and around the neck region (travelling into the arms)
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Numbness/pins and needles into the arms
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Headaches
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Tenderness to touch in and around the neck region
What Can I Do to Prevent Neck Pain?
The easiest and most effective treatment is something that you can do yourself
– improving your posture
! The moment you correct your posture, you relieve your muscles that have been working so hard and causing the pain. A good posture will instantly make you feel better, although it might seem a little tough in the beginning – just see your friendly neighbourhood Registered Physiotherapist for a detailed education about posture correction, including a work-place ergonomics assessment.
What Can I Do to Get Better?
There are a variety of treatment options depending on how chronic the condition is and the root cause of the pain. Some of the treatments that Physiotherapy offers include:
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Manual therapy like soft tissue release, muscle energy techniques, and stretching
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Therapeutic modalities such as TENS, Ultrasound, and hot packs
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Exercise programs to strengthen weak muscles
Book an appointment
with a Physiotherapist and get that neck checked out. A detailed assessment and a thorough treatment plan can help you relieve your pain!
