Sitting there on top of your shoulders, holding up one of the most important parts of the human body is the neck. It is one of the most common places for musculoskeletal pain. It’s even part of a very common saying “a pain in the neck”. Neck pain can lead to headaches, shoulder and arm pain. With neck pain, it can be very difficult to turn your head which is something we do a lot in everyday life. If you suffer from neck pain or want to help to avoid neck pain, here are three tips;
1. Chin tuck
2. Sleeping position and pillow
3. Trapezius stretches
1. Chin tuck
A lot of people suffering from neck pain have poor posture. With rounded shoulders your neck is pushed forward so your chin sticks out. This puts your neck into a bad position which over time can lead to pain and symptoms. Helping to improve your posture can resolve a lot of issues with the neck. Fixing your posture will involve more than just this exercise, but this is a great way to help the neck. Sit in a chair with your back against a wall and try to sit up straight. Place a rolled-up towel behind your neck and gently tuck your chin to push your neck back into the towel. Hold for 5 seconds and then relax. Do this exercise 10 times and repeat at least twice a day.
2. Sleeping position and pillow
We spend a lot of our lives asleep, on average almost a third of our lives. It’s no wonder that a lot of people wake up with a sore neck. Most of the time, when you wake up with a sore neck it’s due to sleeping in a bad position. Firstly, never sleep on your stomach. This is the worst position for your neck. It forces you to turn your head to the side so you can breathe, and gravity forces you to bend your neck to the side at the same time. Always sleep on your side or back. Depending on whether you sleep on your side or your back will determine the size of your pillow. When sleeping on your side, you need a thicker pillow than when sleeping on your back. Always use just one pillow and try to keep your neck in a neutral position.
3. Trapezius stretches
One of the prime movers of the neck is the trapezius muscle. It is a large muscle that runs from your neck to your shoulder and down the length of your spine. If the trapezius muscle becomes tight it can lead to pain in the neck. Loosening the trapezius muscle will help to reduce pain and symptoms. To stretch the trapezius muscle, drop your chin to your chest and move your nose towards one armpit. If needed use your hand on the back of your head to increase the stretch. Hold the stretch for at least 30 seconds, stretch the trapezius on the other side and repeat 3-5 times a day.
Whilst the above tips will help the majority of people with neck pain, if your pain persists you should get assessed and treated by a health professional.
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