Chronic Cycle Of Neck Pain By Chantelle Bailey
Neck pain affects up to 70% of the population, and has no doubt impacted many of you at some stage of your life.
Unfortunately, due to the demands of society, including working positions, phones, stress and poor sleep, neck pain is becoming more and more prevalent.
As humans, we are meant to move!
Our bodies are not meant to remain in static positions for long periods of time. However, when work deadlines need to be met, children need to be picked up, or over 50 clients are waiting on your reply, movement becomes the last thing on your priority list. Unfortunately, these static positions cause stiffness, tightness and irritation of the joints, connective tissue and musculature in the body.
Now, let me start by saying that our bodies are extremely resilient, and have an inbuilt protective response to any ‘threat’ to your body or system.
When our system is overloaded, the brain cannot distinguish between stiffness, injury, sore or fatigued muscles. It therefore may perceive all of the above to be a threat, and respond accordingly.
This response may include muscle spasm, joint pain, headaches and associated dizziness or visual changes.
And so begins the chronic cycle of neck pain. Stiff joints and fatigued muscles cause pain. The body responds to pain by creating muscle spasm. The muscle spasm causes more joint compression/irritation… and hence, more pain. The good news, there is often a simple fix to this problem.
Firstly, work to strengthen the muscles around the upper back and neck. This builds endurance in your system and will allow you to adapt to the requirements of your day to day life. With greater endurance comes greater ability to sit without overloading other muscles and joints.
Secondly, manual therapy or massage has been shown to help relieve the symptoms associated with neck pain. I would suggest finding a good practitioner to help you with your journey, and use it as an adjunct to your exercise.
Thirdly, movement is key! Even if you have to set a timer on your phone to get up and grab a coffee… which we all need on a long day. Try starting the day with a walk or going for a stroll at lunch time. If you’re someone that works straight through the day, place a water bottle or food out of reach so that you at least have to move to grab it. Sometimes it's not about making massive changes, but starting small.
Like anything, these things take time, but with the help of a healthcare professional and a movement or exercise regime (like pilates), anything is possible!
Written by Chantelle Bailey - Physio