The Age of Neck Pain

What do phones, working at a desk and gardening all have in common?  

They are all common causes of neck pain. Neck pain is nothing new, and these are just some of a long list of reasons why your neck could be hurting.

But what is common between those three that causes neck pain to begin with?

Stretching!!

To dial in, its the stretching of the muscles that make up the back of your neck such as:

• Trapezius

• Erector Spinae

• Levator Scapulae

Stretching is a great tool for pain relief. As physiotherapists we use it all the time, typically with a 30 to 60 seconds hold. However, the kind of stretching that leads to neck pain does not just last 30 seconds, it is constant, day in and day out, across many different activities. For an example think about somebody pulling on your arms. It is not comfortable and eventually you will tense up to prevent them pulling your arms any further. The muscles in your neck work with the same principle. Eventually, they will tighten up to prevent further movement occurring. 

Are you reading this on your phone. How is your posture? Does your chin poke forward? Do your shoulders round? Do you slump in your chair? These are all factors that compound to have the muscles of your neck on constant stretch, eventually leading to pain.

Good news is, this is absolutely reversible.

So what can you do?

We have to stop or at the very least limit the constant stretch we place on our necks. This can occur in a couple different ways.

1. Office Ergonomics

Considering that most people spend over 35% of their day at work it is important to have the best setup possible to support your body and limit neck strain. Having your screen height at eye level ensures that your head is in neutral position and does not place your neck on stretch as you do not have to look down. Let’s compliment this by having a chair height that allows you to have your feet flat on the floor at 90 degrees, and a desk height that supports the elbows at 90 degrees, taking away the weight of the shoulder girdle. Ergonomics is the start to improving your posture at work, and simple changes will help in the long run.

2. Neck Strengthening

It will comes as no surprise that the way to fix neck pain is to strengthen the neck. This will not only strengthen surrounding structures but aids in activating the right muscles. When we constantly look down, whether at work or on our phones, the muscles on the front of our neck aka neck flexors, in particular the deep muscles get lazy. These muscles act to stop the chin from poking forward. They play a vital role in offloading the rest of the neck from holding up the head (which by the way, our head accounts for about 9% of our body weight!).

3. Scapular Strengthening

Treatment for neck pain should be holistic, requiring a wider view that just the neck. The body works as a unit so insufficiencies and imbalances in other areas can impact the movement of other opposing joints. One such relationship is the neck and the scapular commonly known as the shoulder blade. Any stiffness in one directly impacts the other. Commonly, scapular dysfunction will impact normal neck movement which only acts to exacerbate neck pain. This can be seen as rounding or hitching of the shoulders, due to over-activation of the trapezius muscle combined with tightness of the chest, specifically pectoralis major. Our goal as physiotherapist’s will be to return the proper movement of the scapular as a multi stage treatment of neck pain.

4. Break the Habits

Finally you need to stop stooping over to look at your phone or desk. Fix your posture. If you spend all day slouched in a chair at work and then bend over to look at your phone all evening, it is no wonder you have neck pain. Try giving your neck a break. Chuck in some music, draw your shoulders back and look up for a change. If you do have to use your phone at the very least hold it up to eye height or support it on something instead.

When it comes to neck pain, it is the small things that make a big difference. Giving your neck a break from that constant aching can seem daunting but it is the habits we break that will help give you back the freedom of movement without the worry of pain. 

If you don’t know where to start and you would like help and guidance to recover from neck pain. Come book a 1-on-1 session in with one of our trusted physiotherapists that will help guide you out of pain and provide you with a personalised recovery program that considers your outcomes, profession and goals.

Contact PEP Movement on 45 730 740 or book in clinic at 494 George Street, South Windsor

Written by:
Michael Ward - Physiotherapist