By Dr. Jessica Monteleone, PT PhD
It was over three decades ago. I remember it well. My neck reacted poorly to a job that I absolutely despised. Stuck in middle management, the stress of that job was overwhelming. Between the back of my neck and shoulders, spasms and pain gripped my soft tissue. It was hard as a rock! Then, it spread up to the back of my skull creating a severe headache. I lost my concentration. Where did this thing come from and how do I get rid of it? I stood up to change my position, laced my fingers, lifting them up over my head. It was time for a break, some shoulder circles and a change of scenery or was that permissible at this employ?
What To Do For Neck Pain Caused By Posture Or Body Mechanics
• Avoid slouching or a head-forward posture. Sit straight in your chair with your lower back supported, feet flat on the floor, and shoulders relaxed. Don’t sit for long periods without getting up or changing positions. Take short breaks several times an hour to stretch your shoulders and neck muscles.
• If you work at a computer, adjust the monitor so the top of the screen is at eye level. Use a document holder that puts your work at the same level as the screen.
• If you use the telephone frequently, use a headset or speaker phone. Don’t cradle the phone on your shoulder.
• Adjust the seat of your car to a more upright position that supports your head and lower back. Make sure that you are not reaching for the steering wheel while driving. Your arms should be in a slightly flexed, comfortable position.
• When storing items that you frequently use, place them where they can be easily accessible, not where you are forced to extend your neck into unconventional positions.
• Use a pillow that keeps your neck in optimal alignment. Special neck support pillows called cervical pillows or rolls may relieve neck stress. A hand towel rolled up tightly, placed over a conventional pillow, under the pillow case may be helpful if a cervical pillow is unavailable.
• Don’t sleep on your stomach with your neck twisted or bent.
• If you read in bed (not good for low back pain), prop up the book on several bed pillows so you aren’t using your arms to hold it up.
• If stress is adding to your neck pain, practice relaxation exercises throughout the day. Try breathing through your nose, inhale 1-2-3-4, hold 1-2-3-4-5-6, and then slowly exhale 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 several times a day or breathe in 1-2-3-4 out 1-2-3-4-5-6 stop 1-2-3-4 then repeat.
• Strengthen and protect your neck by doing shoulder blade and neck exercises each day. I enjoy doing “the plank” and quadruped exercises to build the core…the foundation for the support of the neck.
• Stay at a healthy body weight and hydrate well.
Home Treatment
• If you have sustained an actual neck muscle injury, the tissue is warm to the touch and swollen, so, heat is not recommended. Use an icepack for 10 minutes 3-4x per day. If you don’t have one, you can use a bag of frozen vegetables covered with a pillow case, or make one using ½ dish soap and ½ water placed in a Ziploc bag in the freezer.
• If your neck pain is due to stress, I enjoy a long hot bath with medicinal aromatherapy such as lavender or chamomile with Epsom salts.
• If you don’t have a tub, try a hot shower, allowing the water to beat down on the painful area.
• Don’t sit. Recliners do not support your spine. Instead, lie down with your body in alignment and your natural curves in your back supported.
• If your neck is not considerably better within 48 hours, visit a health professional. It may need more medical attention than home remedies.
• Use wisdom in your recovery.
Get Moving, But Carefully
• Ease back into your normal daily activities as soon as you can. Movement helps your muscles stay strong.
• Examine your lifestyle. Avoid or modify activities such as lifting and sports that increase pain and stiffness.
• Do stretching and strengthening exercises to keep your neck and shoulders flexible, strong and to prevent stiffness. Do include aerobic exercise such as walking.
• Modify any activities that may be causing your neck pain, such as sitting for a long time at the computer or doing too much overhead work at a time. Support the natural curves in your spine during work or activity. We call this ergonomics.
• Gently massage or rub the area to relieve pain and encourage blood flow. Nonprescription creams or pads, such as Ben gay, Bio-freeze, or Icy Hot may provide pain relief.
• Stop smoking. Smoking slows healing because it decreases blood supply and delays tissue repair.
• Limit your caffeine to one cup of coffee or tea in the morning.
• A good B-complex vitamin in the morning and Magnesium at night are both essential to my muscle relaxation.
• Practice gratitude, laugh more, reduce your stress and breathe deeply.
Complementary and Alternative Treatments
• Physical therapy can evaluate posture, pain, and body mechanics. They utilize modalities such as manual techniques, ultrasound and electrical stimulation; teach ergonomics and exercises to optimize function.
• Cervical (neck) collars may be used for short periods of time to help reduce pain by restricting neck movement and allowing muscles to rest.
• Traction is a technique used to stretch the neck and relax the spinal nerve root openings. It may be used if there is no risk of instability in the neck. I prefer traction that is offered while lying down. (supine position)
• Low-level laser therapy and red-light therapy use targeted light energy to decrease pain and promote healing. A review of studies suggests that it can help both sudden (acute) and long-term (chronic) neck pain.
• Massage helps with relaxation, decreased muscle pain, and increased circulation and flexibility.
• Yoga, Thai chi and other martial arts programs may help improve flexibility and breathing, decrease stress, and maintain health.
• Chiropractors can realign bones that may have become out of alignment causing stress on the structures around them.
• Acupuncture and dry needling which is done by inserting very thin needles into the skin is used to relieve pain and to treat many health conditions.
Get hugs, not drugs. Muscle relaxants, anti-inflammatory and analgesics may take away pain and discomfort for a while, but they don’t fix the problem. It is important that we examine our lifestyle and change the way we accomplish our work and leisure to prevent these challenges from happening in the first place.
Pain can be a good thing. It tells us that something is wrong. Today, I am very aware of what my neck is doing. When pain is minimal, I integrate breathing techniques, exercises and change positions before it gets any worse. I now work at a job that I enjoy and with people who are fun to work with. It all makes a difference.
Got a pain in your neck? Try incorporating techniques listed above. Yes, we only have one body while living here on earth. The choices that we make today are an investment into our tomorrows. Let’s choose to be healthy.
Jessica Monteleone PT MS PhD is a physical therapist providing services in the local area. She and her husband reside in Freeport. wholistictherapyathome.com
