Treating ongoing neck pain, and stiffness.
This happens to be the most common issue I encounter, and I have noticed a pattern among these individuals. They tend to lose focus on self-care and instead develop muscle and joint aches.
Though it can happen overnight, there’s many factors that play in. Usually it’s a case of months passing with neck pain and stiffness become more prevalent for them, often diverting them from the natural direction their bodies wants to go.
Sometimes they try too hard to return back there, only to face setbacks. On other occasions, they let too much time elapse, gradually accepting the pain as a normal part of their lives.
It is important to address these issues for long-term results, finding relief and equipping oneself to handle the contributing factors. That’s why they see me.
Let’s look at some factors
Here are a few overlooked factors that contribute neck pain.
Poor Posture: Maintaining poor posture while sitting, standing, or sleeping can put strain on the neck muscles and lead to pain. Spending long hours hunched over a computer or looking down at a mobile device can contribute to this.
Emotional Stress: Emotional stress and tension can cause muscle stiffness and tightness in the neck and shoulders, leading to pain. This type of pain is sometimes referred to as tension neck syndrome.
Sedentary Lifestyle: Leading a sedentary lifestyle with limited physical activity can weaken the neck muscles and lead to pain. Lack of exercise and movement can contribute to muscle imbalances and stiffness.
Driving: Driving is a dynmic activity which promotes forward head posture with extreme neck movement while your body has to balance itself from turns and bumps on the road.
Text Neck: With the widespread use of smartphones and tablets, many people spend a significant amount of time looking down at their devices. This constant forward head posture can strain the neck muscles and cause pain.
Jaw Problems: Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders or teeth grinding (bruxism) can refer pain to the neck and cause discomfort. The interconnected muscles and joints between the jaw and neck can contribute to neck pain.
Sleep: Sleeping in an awkward position or using an improper pillow that doesn't support the neck can lead to pain upon waking up. The neck needs proper support and alignment during sleep to prevent strain.
Poor Ergonomics: Incorrect ergonomics at workstations, such as improper chair height or an incorrectly positioned computer monitor, can cause neck pain. Maintaining proper ergonomics is essential for minimizing strain on the neck and upper back.
Weather: Exposure to cold temperatures or drafts can cause neck muscles to contract and become tense as the muscle tone increases to maintain heat. This can leading to pain and discomfort. Similarly, sudden changes in weather conditions can affect the neck. Such as Melbourne’s piercing cold tempretures, espectually when it fluctuates between the night and morning change over.
It's important to note that neck pain can also be caused by more serious conditions or injuries. From my experience, outside of an accident, there is a LONG build up until that point.
Self treatment options
I look at these as supplements, they don’t replace what a professional can do once they get hands on with you but it’s often enough to keep things at bay so you can feel better sooner.
It’s like having a meal replacement shake instead in loo of a proper meal.
The traditional… “let’s isolate muscles” approach…
Look up the follow muscles on YouTube; find some stretches or mobility work around them to help reset their muscle tone upper traps, levator scapular, scalenes, pec minor.
That’s all good, and properly prescribed it can work like magic.
A more general, function approach is corrective exercises. 1 or 2 prescribed exercises allows one’s body to take stress away from your problem area and spread it to other areas. Over time you’ll learn a different way to do things without the need to be aware of it.
A common exercise my clients do to help reset the shoulder neck and rib connection.
Once you understand what contributes to the neck pain and stiffness, learn some tools to deal with it when it becomes unbearable, and most importantly, find someone to help rid your symptoms for a window of relief.
Book a treatment today at my clinical massage treatment room near Highpoint and Footscray.
