Neck Pain: What Causes It And How Can You Aid It?

It’s no secret that life is tough. With many of us juggling work and personal responsibilities, it’s easy for us to allow our stresses to overwhelm us and to manifest as physical ailments. When our stresses get out of hand, they can often build up in and around our neck and shoulders leading us to suffer from stiffness and discomfort. Our stress can also impose on our gut health leading to digestive issues such as IBS.

As well as stress being one of the many causes of neck pain, so is:

  • Poor sleep
  • Using incorrect form whilst exercising
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Spinal stenosis
  • Herniated disc
  • Pinched nerves.

Neck pain usually evolves over time and can last from days to years, depending on the cause. 

What can you do to aid your neck pain?

Avoid resting or working in one position for too long

Pay attention to your posture whilst you are resting or working as it can be very hard to reverse bad posture. If you can, ensure you’re scheduling breaks throughout your day to get up and move around. This is a fantastic way to get your blood flowing and to help you avoid your neck getting stuck in an unhealthy position for too long.

Make some ergonomic adjustments

If you have a desk job, be mindful to keep your feet supported on the floor or on a footrest when you work to reduce pressure on your lower back.

Set up your laptop or computer screen so that the top line of the screen is at or below eye level. This should align your eyes with the top of the viewing area of the screen. You shouldn’t need to tilt or bend your neck forward to properly see the monitor. Set up your screen directly in front of you, at least 20 inches away.

Don’t use too many pillows

Whilst having a ton of pillows on your bed might look aesthetically pleasing, sleeping with several pillows under your head could actually be causing your neck unnecessary damage. Invest in one good pillow that offers your neck, shoulders and back the most support and comfort possible. The longer you choose to sleep on a mountain of pillows that aren’t supporting you properly, the more you’re increasing your risk of several different conditions, including musculoskeletal pain.

Avoid lifting heavy loads

Whether you have young children or a job that requires a lot of lifting, you must know your limits. If you know you’re struggling to lift a load alone, ask for support. If you’re unable to do this, at least ensure you are using the best form when lifting.

  • Bend your hips and knees to squat down to your load
  • Keep the load close to your body
  • Straighten your legs to lift
  • Never lift a heavy object above shoulder level
  • Avoid turning or twisting your body while lifting or holding a heavy object.

How will Osteopathy help aid your neck pain?

Osteopathy uses many of the diagnostic procedures used in conventional medical assessment and diagnosis. Its main strength, however, lies in the unique way the patient is assessed from a mechanical, functional and postural standpoint and the manual methods of treatment applied to suit the needs of the individual patient.

At The Enfield Osteopathic Clinic, our practitioners will use a gentle, hands on treatment to help soothe your neck pain. We use a variety of techniques to settle inflammation, restore blood flow and encourage movement back into the joints. We will match the pressure of massage and muscle manipulation to your pain tolerance, and we will provide you with techniques and exercises that you can continue to practice in the comfort of your own home.

If you’re ready to eliminate neck pain from your life, the Enfield Osteopathic team would love to hear from you. We will work together to get you in the best shape possible so you’re able to lead a pain-free and comfortable life.

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