Understanding Neck Pain
The neck is an incredibly mobile region of the spine. As a result it is very easy to strain the muscles and compress the nerves, causing immobility and discomfort.
In our Wokingham Osteopaths clinic we have treated patients with neck pain caused by poor posture sitting at their desk or staring at their phone for too long, as well as trauma from car crashes, American Football injuries and even headbanging at metal concerts.
Nerve compression (trapped nerves), muscle spasm, muscle strain, degeneration of the discs or facet joints, visceral referral, intervertebral disc bulges and herniations can all cause the above symptoms and can all be treated by Osteopathy according to the National Institute of Clinical Excellence.
Does this sound like your neck?
- Sharp or dull pain in the neck
- Neck muscle spasms
- Stiffness or immobility on neck movement
- Pain on movement including taking deep breaths
- Headaches
- Upper back referral
- Shooting pain, pins and needles, weakness and numbness into one or both arms
What are the causes of neck pain?
Posture
One increasingly common cause of neck strain is our use of technology. The overwhelming majority of us use our mobile phones for hours on end, frequently looking down for sustained periods and straining the muscles at the back of our neck.
Working from home is a wonderful way to enhance the work life balance but many employers fail to provide mandatory postural checks on their staff.
DSE (Display Screen Equipment) assessments are a legal requirement but most fail to highlight postural issues as employees are asked to self-assess using cheap online tools. As in-person assessments are often costly with employees working from home, we aim to provide patients with advice and recommendations to minimise postural strain that affects our patients' spines.
Sports
As the neck is a rather vulnerable region a wide range of activities can trigger neck pain.
- Contact sports like rugby, hocky and football can cause neck pain when impacting another player, falling or tackling.
- Awkward positions or those with lots of tension like cycling, gymnastics and weightlifting can place pressure on the neck.
- Being grappled or hit in the neck during martial arts can cause neck muscles to spasm or guard around an impacted area.
Sleeping habits
Lying in bed on poorly supporting pillow and mattresses can make a huge difference to the amount of strain placed on the human spine.
Pillows have a shelf-life of around three years and mattress around eight years. Around the end of their lifespan it is recommended to replace them in order to ensure your spinal support is optimal.
Of course, just rolling over in bed can sometimes cause a facet joint to be slightly irritated which causes the neck muscles to lock up in a guarding fashion and cause severe neck pain. Luckily we can treat that!
How can Osteopathy, Sports Therapy and Massage help?
Our team of osteopaths and sports therapists are able to build a complete picture of your issue from a case history and physical examination, give a diagnosis and treatment plan.
As a healthcare clinic we are trained to take our time for maximum effectiveness, working through the musculature around the area in order to help release any problematic areas.
We use a combination of massage, joint articulation, stretching and often manipulation (if clinically justified) in order to restore function to the problematic area. We frequently dispense exercises, stretches and lifestyle advice as homework to address any maintaining factors to keep you healthier for longer.
