Neck Pain

Neck pain can really impact daily life. Twinges on small movements are more than just annoying, and stiffness can impact driving safety. Luckily, your osteopath can help.

Neck Injuries

Some injuries can be non-traumatic, such as some disc injuries. Like in the lower back, there are discs between the bones of the neck that can bulge when overloaded. A lot of the time this will not cause symptoms, but they can cause local pain and nerve symptoms into the arm.

A disc can reach its limit with a seemingly innocuous movement if it’s already overloaded. It might just take a quick rotation to cause a surprisingly intense pain. Your osteopath’s job in this case is to work out why it was overloaded, as well as to address the symptoms. Often the upper back gets stiff without any direct symptoms, but this can cause movement from that area to be diverted into the neck. We will assess your body as a whole to work out the factors at play.

Desk-Related Neck Pain

The root cause of most desk set-up aches and pains is lack of movement. You could be sitting perfectly according to ergonomic guidelines, but holding that position for 8 hours will be uncomfortable!

Of course, if you’re also starting work in an awkward position, you’ll suffer sooner. Working from home can present new challenges, especially from a sofa or bed. General guidance is to have the top of your screen level with your eyes to encourage your neck to remain neutral. To avoid neck strain, aim to keep your screen square on- and if you work equally over two screens, arrange them symmetrically. Sometimes we can tell which side a patient’s second screen is on by the way they hold their neck, so it’s worth the adjustment.

Regardless of your desk set-up, you need to keep moving. Try to work movement into the day, even if that just means moving the printer to the other side of the room to ensure you stand up periodically. You can also sit in slightly different positions throughout the day. If sitting on one leg is comfortable, do it! Mix it up with feet flat on the floor, or one leg crossed- just make sure you’re swapping every 20 minutes or so.

Cervicogenic Headaches

Problems with the neck can lead to headaches. Nerves, muscles, and joints are at play here, and when one structure is affected, others compensate over time. Addressing your neck problem sooner rather than later can prevent these headaches from developing.

Read more about cervicogenic headaches here.

Osteopathy for Neck Pain

Your osteopath can diagnose your neck pain and identify factors at play. As mentioned above, upper back stiffness is a common factor, but other areas such as the shoulders or even the jaw could be involved too. Even stress can have a direct link to neck pain when it causes changes in muscle tension and breathing.

These are all causes we can help with. A combination of hands on treatment to muscles and joints, combined with exercises to do at home will make a positive difference. We can also give preventative information and advice. Whiplash is unavoidable in some collisions, but ensuring your head restraint is correctly positioned could make a significant difference.

Book an appointment now to get on top of your neck pain.