What’s Causing My Neck Pain?

Neck Pain

Neck Pain

Have you ever had slight neck pain, but didn’t really think much of it? Especially if you knew it was because you slept in an awkward position?

We hear this quite often from our patients when they first come into the clinic to see us. By the end of their therapy program, they finally mention the ‘annoying pain’ that they’ve been feeling in their neck because 9 times out of 10, they think that it’s something that will just ‘go away on its own as it has in the past.

Until the day it doesn’t!

Why Should I Care about My Neck Pain?

Think of your neck like this:

Your neck supports the most vital component of your body; the skull and more importantly, the brain. Let’s not forget that your nerves begin at the top of your neck!

Now ask yourself this- do you still want to brush off that neck pain that you woke up with this morning?

One of the main reasons why we shouldn’t ignore neck pain is because we all have ways in which we make it worse. We don’t mean to, but sometimes our lifestyle just gets in the way.

Have you had your hair done recently? It can be such an enjoyable experience, but have you stopped to consider how it can affect your neck?

When you’re getting your hair washed in the basin, do you check to see if the chair and basin are adjusted accordingly? Or do you just leave it in the same setting as it was before because you don’t want to be a bother?

The seats are meant to adjust for a reason! So how do we get past this? Next time, ask for the basin and chair to be adjusted accordingly, regardless of how long you are going to be washing your hair. Every minute matters!

Maybe You’re a Swimmer?

We always recommend swimming, as it takes a great amount of stress off of your joints. However, the type of swimming you do can often have an effect on your body- and not always a positive one. If you like to swim in a freestyle position, you need to be more aware of your neck.

Constantly turning your neck creates a repetitive motion and can begin to take its toll. It’s possible to overuse muscles and tendons in the neck…. So take extra care.

Next time you go swimming, try alternating your swimming type to a breast-stroke position. However, if you really must do a freestyle swim, try to go a bit slower.

Is posture causing your neck pain? Watch these exercises to help.

What Activities are Causing My Neck Pain?

Another way in which you can often get neck pain is by putting your neck in an awkward position for a long period of time.

So, when watching a movie at the theater, think to yourself, are you looking up at the screen, or straight ahead?

If you find yourself looking up, try to get a seat further back so that the screen is at eye level. Not only will this ease neck pain, but it will also allow you to focus and enjoy the movie more!

The above also goes for book and tech lovers too. If you’re looking at your phone or reading a book for a long period of time, you may begin to feel the strain on your neck.

After a hard day at work, your bed can be so welcoming. It can feel as though you’re being greeted with a big hug as you crawl into bed and sleep snugly.

But, how many of you have woken up to neck pain so severe that you can’t physically turn your head left or right?

If this happens to you quite often, try changing your pillow to one that allows more support.

This tends to be why we get neck pain while we sleep. If your neck isn’t able to support your head, then your neck will feel as if it’s in an unusual position and resulting in neck stiffness the next morning.

If you do have a stiff neck in the morning, to the extent that you can’t move it in a particular direction (i.e. left or right), then please don’t drive! Not only will this make it harder to drive, but these quick movements may also make your neck pain worse.

If you’d like more tips on how to naturally ease your neck pain, here is our FREE report:

Nick Hunter, PT, DPT

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