The Basics of Neck Pain
The Basics: Neck Pain
The saying exists for a reason - there’s nothing worse than a real pain in the neck ey?
There's a couple of different types of neck pain. We've got the old school “I turned my neck ‘wrong’ and I felt that grab.” Now there’s pain in my neck and I can't turn it. That can be different from the low grade, constant, stiffness and tightness that can happen associated with lifestyle factors such as work. Or maybe you’ve been in a car accident or had some sporting trauma and there’s a concern around whiplash.
So when it comes to neck pain - the first place to start is “Is it serious?”
GIVE IT TO ME STRAIGHT, DOC
So let’s start with the question- when do I need to go see someone?
Someone like a chiropractor, my primary care physician or my GP, do I need to go get some scans? So the first thing we want do to, similar to with your low back, is ask some questions about why we may need some professional care.
It can be because of pain. So if you're a “10 out of 10 pain”, that could be a great time to go see your doctor. Make sure that you haven't had a serious injury.
Was there trauma involved? That's a great time to go see a qualified health practitioner and make sure that there's nothing serious happening and potentially go and get some imaging
is there any pins and needles, tingling in the hands/fingers, or face? Is there weakness, like a loss in grip strength or clumsiness? Those are great times to go get yourself checked out.
So in those cases - popping off to seeing your G.P or another professional like a Chiro or Physio is a great place to start.
After that, you’re in a great place to have ruled out some serious causes of injury and can start the treatment process to address your painful symptoms
Are there stretches you can do for neck pain?
Absolutely!
Our first stretch is the upper trap. Take your hand, put it on the opposite side of your head and just pull across gently.
After that, we can get into our scalenes. We put a hand on the same side we stretch behind your back. Grab onto a door frame, or anything that can let you just pin the shoulder down. We're gonna grab that and we'll lean our head the opposite direction, and pivot from the top of our head and look down to our armpit.
Then we've got something called the Brugger’s position. Now you can do this with a band or without. Grabbing the band, tucking my elbows into my side, bring the shoulders down and back away from my ears and nice and pull the band out.
Finally, if you've got a ball, you've got a wall, you can just get in through the back of the shoulders, that middle back, through thoracic spine spots, rhomboids, levator scapula, your upper traps. We’re just putting the ball on the wall, finding the spot that's sore, and just press on it and just chill and relax and breathe. You can also play through the front of your pec, the front of your shoulder.
What can we do to strengthen our neck?
Plenty!
Neck planks are a basic strengthening exercise that target the Deep Neck Flexes.
To perform this exercise:
lie down on your back and tuck your chin in.
Next, place your tongue behind your teeth and lift your head while keeping your chin tucked.
Hold the position for 10 seconds, and then slowly lower your head back down.
Repeat this exercise, increasing the hold time in 10-second increments until you’re able to hold for 45-60 seconds
We want to emphasize the importance of keeping your chin relaxed during the exercise and not pushing yourself too hard.
Start with 10 seconds and gradually work up to 90 seconds per hold. If you lose the chin tuck position, it's time to end the session. Neck planks are a simple and effective exercise that can help restore strength and function to the deep neck flexors and alleviate neck pain.
What are some other basic considerations for neck pain?
Many people wonder if their pillow is causing their neck pain or if they need a different pillow to prevent it. The truth is, the right pillow is essential for a good night's sleep, and if you don't have the proper support while you sleep, you can end up with neck pain.
However, it's essential to note that blaming everything on your pillow can be a bit of a stretch. Still, there are some basic rules when it comes to selecting the right pillow to prevent neck pain.
Rule number one: your pillow must be supportive. When you're entirely passive and at rest, your pillow should support the weight of your head and neck. Ideally, you should be using only one pillow to keep your neck in a neutral position. Sleeping on two or three pillows can throw your neck out of alignment and cause pain.
Rule number 2: your pillow must be comfortable. It doesn't matter whether your pillow is a cheap $2 one or an expensive $200 pillow with fancy designs. If it supports your head and neck in a passive position and is comfortable, then it's the best pillow for you.
Finding the right pillow can be challenging, but there are resources available to help you. Websites like bedbuyer.com.au, run by Australian chiropractors, offer reviews on different pillows to help you find the right one.