What Is Neck Pain?

Neck pain is any time your neck hurts. It's a common problem with lots of causes.

Your neck has a tough job. It holds up the same weight as a bowling ball all day long. The bones at the top of your spine , along with your muscles and ligaments, support your head, which weighs about 11 pounds.

It can be a delicate balance. Things like sleeping wrong and bad posture can cause neck pain, as more than one-quarter of American adults can tell you. It isn't usually a symptom of a more serious health problem.

Neck Pain Symptoms

If your neck hurts, you may notice other symptoms including:

Pain that gets worse when you hold your head a certain way while working on a computer, driving, or doing other tasks

Muscle tightness or spasms

Trouble moving your neck or headaches

Neck Pain Diagnosis

Call your doctor if your neck pain is severe, doesn't respond to treatment, gets worse over time, or includes numbness, weakness, or tingling and pain in your arms and legs.

Your doctor may ask:

When did the pain start?

Have you been injured?

Do you have numbness or weakness in your arms or hands?

Does moving your neck in a certain way make things better or worse?

Does coughing or sneezing make the pain worse?

Your doctor has many tools to figure out what's wrong. They could order X-rays, an MRI CT scan , EMG (electromyography ), or blood tests.

Neck Pain Treatment

Treatments could include muscle relaxants, physical therapy , a padded neck collar, or traction.

In rare situations, you may need shots of cortisone or even surgery.

With treatment, your neck will usually stop hurting in a few days. Use medicines like acetaminophen aspirin , or ibuprofen to ease pain. Put an ice pack on your neck for the first 2 to 3 days to help lower swelling. After that, use moist heat, like a hot shower or a heating pad, to help it heal. There are also exercises you can do at home (or in front of your computer at work) to gently stretch your neck muscles.

You can also visit a chiropractor or get a neck massage for relief.

Source: webmd.com

What Causes a Stiff Neck? Try These Simple Remedies

With so many of us gazing into computers or staring down at our smart phones most of the day, it's no wonder data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that nearly 20% of us have experienced neck pain within the past three months.

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A stiff neck typically is the result of muscles weakening over time from poor posture or misuse, says chiropractor Andrew Bang, DC.

Looking down at your computer monitor all day can cause the muscles around the neck joints to tire and become overstretched. Driving for long periods of time or looking at your smart phone can have the same effect. If you're doing this day after day, it can add up and can displace your neck joints.

“When your neck muscles become weak and you try to turn your head, the joint no longer moves smoothly because it's now out of place,” Dr. Bang says. “Often the joint catches on something, either pulling a muscle or hitting the nerve irregularly, or maybe both.

Stretching can keep pain at bay

Putting your monitor at eye level, sitting up straight and avoiding tilting and twisting your head down or to the side while you're on the computer can help you avoid neck pain. When you're driving or looking at your smart phone, be sure to take frequent breaks and avoid having your neck bent forward for long periods of time, Dr. Bang says.

The key to relief for a stiff neck is proper stretching and manipulation, Dr. Bang says. Here are some stretches you can try at your desk or in the car that may help you to avoid a stiff neck:

Roll your shoulders backwards and down 10 times.

Squeeze your shoulder blades together 10 times.

Push your head backwards into your car head rest or hands and hold for 30 seconds.

Bring your ear to your shoulder 10 times on each side.

Take care when you sleep

Dr. Bang says if your neck is bothering you, you also should pay attention to your sleep positions. Sleep only on your side or on your back – never on your stomach, he says.

“When you sleep on your stomach, often you will end up twisting your head one way or the other for hours at a time,” Dr. Bang says. “Sleeping on your stomach also can affect your low back because your belly sinks in to the bed if you don't have enough support.” Advertising Policy For minor, common causes of neck pain, try these simple remedies:

Apply heat or ice to the painful area. Use ice for the first 48 to 72 hours, then use heat after that. Heat may be applied with warm showers, hot compresses or a heating pad. Be sure not to fall asleep with a heating pad or ice bag in place to avoid skin injuries.

Take over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.

Do slow range-of-motion exercises, up and down, side to side, and from ear to ear. This helps to gently stretch the neck muscles.

Have a partner gently massage the sore or painful areas.

Try sleeping on a firm mattress without a pillow or with a special neck pillow.

Ask your health care provider about using a soft neck collar to relieve discomfort. Don't use the collar for a long time. Doing so can make your neck muscles weaker.

If the pain gets in the way of your daily activities, Dr. Bang says to call your doctor.

Source: health.clevelandclinic.org

Getting Relief For Your Neck Pain

You can use one or more of these methods to help reduce neck pain:

Use over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), or acetaminophen (Tylenol).

Apply heat or ice to the painful area. Use ice for the first 48 to 72 hours, then use heat.

Apply heat using warm showers, hot compresses, or a heating pad.

To prevent injuring your skin, do not fall asleep with a heating pad or ice bag in place.

Have a partner gently massage the sore or painful areas.

Try sleeping on a firm mattress with a pillow that supports your neck. You may want to get a special neck pillow. You can find them at some pharmacies or retail stores.

Ask your health care provider about using a soft neck collar to relieve discomfort.

Only use the collar for 2 to 4 days at most.

Using a collar for longer can make your neck muscles weaker. Take it off from time to time to allow the muscles to get stronger.

Acupuncture also may help relieve neck pain.

Stretches and Exercises For Neck Pain Prevention

As part of physical therapy, you may receive massage and stretching exercises along with exercises to strengthen your neck. Exercise can help you:

Improve your posture

Strengthen your neck and improve flexibility

A complete exercise program should include:

Follow the instructions of your doctor or physical therapist.

This may involve walking, riding a stationary bicycle, or swimming. These activities can help improve blood flow to your muscles and promote healing. They also strengthen muscles in your stomach, neck, and back.

Stretching and strengthening exercises are important in the long run. Keep in mind that starting these exercises too soon after an injury can make your pain worse. Strengthening the muscles in your upper back can ease the stress on your neck.

Your physical therapist can help you determine when to begin neck stretching and strengthening exercises and how to do them.

Source: medlineplus.gov

How To Sit At Your Desk Without Causing Neck Pain 

Working at a desk is a common cause of back and neck pain. To alleviate this discomfort, redesign your workspace to encourage well-aligned posture.

By Jill M. Henderzahs-Mason P.T.

Do you feel creaky, achy and stiff by the end of the workday? Sitting most of the day is detrimental to your health, but other work-related factors can compromise your well-being, too.

Working at a desk is a common cause of back and neck pain, often because you accommodate to your workstation rather than the other way around. For instance, many people strain to see a computer monitor that is too far away, too low, too high, too small or too dim. This compromises good posture. The average human head weighs almost 12 pounds (5.4 kilograms) the equivalent of a bowling ball! When your neck is bent to 45 degrees, your head exerts nearly 50 pounds (23 kilograms) of force on your neck. In addition to straining joints and muscles in your neck and shoulders, the pressure affects your breathing and mood.

To alleviate this stress, redesign your workspace to encourage well-aligned posture. There are many ways to improve the ergonomics efficiency and comfort level of a typical workstation. Start by answering these questions.

Is your monitor positioned so that you can see it well without straining?

Raise or lower the monitor or your chair so your eyes are level with the top of the screen. If you wear bifocals, you may need to lower the monitor another 1 to 2 inches.

Move the monitor closer or farther away so that you can easily read the screen.

Increase the font size you use.

If using a laptop, link to a larger monitor.

Are your mouse and keyboard positioned so that you don't have to reach up to use them?

Lower your desk height or raise your chair so that your forearms are parallel to the floor or pointed slightly downward and your wrists are not pointing either upward or downward.

Source: mayoclinic.org