Have a stiff neck? Do you have a neck sprain? Are you finding it difficult to move your neck around and admire things around you? Neck pain can make your life unbearable. It can deeply affect your social life, work-life, and family life. It makes it difficult for you to perform your basic daily activities and even negatively impacts your physical and social wellbeing. Get the best Neck Pain relief with your Physical Therapist.
So if you are reading this page, for sure, you or someone close to you is suffering from neck pain. Whether the cause of your neck pain is an improper sleeping position or a result of an injury, or a symptom of an underlying bony problem or chronic pain, this article will prove to be a guide for all those suffering from neck pain.
Before we proceed with the best ways of acquiring neck pain relief, you need to understand the anatomy of the neck, the causes of neck pain, the apparent signs and symptoms.
What is Neck Pain, and How Does it Occur?
Neck pain is considered one of the most common disabilities affecting people worldwide. However, neck pain is not always localized to the neck region; it may radiate and involve the upper limbs, the thorax, and back. It does not just affect the physical life but also social life and work-life.
The neck joint is a pivot joint that allows the neck to move in a back and forth direction with ease. The neck can move up to 90° in the forward and backward direction while it can move around 180° in rotation and tilt towards each shoulder 120° each. The joint in the neck comprises seven cervical vertebrae, 32 cervical muscles, tendons, and ligaments. All of these structures help with the proper functioning of the joint. The cervical vertebrae are composed of intervertebral discs to avoid friction between the joints.
Neck pain is seen in people of all age groups; however, it is comparatively encountered more in middle age groups with a slight female predilection. People with a sedentary lifestyle, smokers, and those suffering from depression and anxiety are more prone to neck pain.
The other common causes of neck pain are:
- Injury/ trauma/ accident:- Any sudden accident or trauma can affect the normal functioning of the neck joint. Such injuries may also cause nerve injuries. This leads to pain in the neck, behind the eyes, head, and radiating down towards the shoulders. Whiplash and spinal stenosis or bone spurs are classic examples.
- Underlying health issues:- Health issues like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, chronic inflammation of the neck, tumors, fractures, spinal cord infections are a few examples that can cause severe neck pain in some way or other.
- Lifestyle:- sedentary lifestyle, lack of proper training and conditioning before workout and exercises, obesity, poor body postures, stress, and anxiety can also cause neck pain.
Now that you know everything about neck pain, let’s get into how to deal with neck pain.
What works the best to get neck pain relief?
Neck pain has multiple treatment approaches. The treatment depends on the severity of the symptoms. However, physical therapy is considered the best nonsurgical, conservative approach to get neck pain relief.
Neck pain relief, Edmonton, ab, is one of the best physical therapy clinics in town offering neck pain relief.
Here are a few physical therapy exercises you try for neck pain relief. You can avail these physical therapy exercises for Neck pain relief, Edmonton, ab.
- Thoracic spine stretch:- place both your hands behind your head. Slowly pull your elbows in the backward direction, stretching out your spine. Hold this position for 10-15 seconds. Repeat 5-10 times.
- Chin tuck:- sit upright and pull your chin towards your neck, making sure that you don’t depress the chin. The chin should be pulled in towards the neck. Maintain the position for 10-15 seconds.
- Neck flexion:- Sit upright facing forward. Turn your head to the right, slowly and gradually up to the point you can comfortably turn. Mayinn the position for 5 seconds and return to the starting position. Now repeat for the left side. Repeat the steps 3-4 times a day.
Apart from these exercises, here are a few simple tips that will help you get rid of neck pain. These tips are specifically provided for Neck pain relief, Edmonton, ab
- Avoid maintaining a constant position for long.
- Avoid using several pillows or pillows that elevate your head at a level higher than your shoulders.
- Follow ergonomic principles while working to avoid straining of the neck.
- Do not overstretch or overstrain your neck muscles.
- Get adequate rest and sleep to avoid anxiety and depression.
Conclusion
Neck pain is a serious issue and generally subsides on its own. However, if you have a constant complaint and frequent episodes of neck pain, you should immediately consult your physical therapist for neck pain relief, Edmonton, ab.