Neck pain is a commonly seen condition that affects men and women equally. It is common in people who work at a desk in front of the computer and tend to spend extended periods of time in seated postures.
Factors contributing to neck pain
Factors that commonly tend to cause neck pain are one of the below or a combination of these; they include,
- improper desk / chair set-up,
- forward head posture when sitting at desk in front of the computer screen/s,
- prolonged seated posture,
- stress that could be related to lifestyle or work.
These factors or a combination of these factors have shown to increase load on neck and shoulder muscles. Increased load tends to result in muscle strain and then pain.
Forward head posture can also induce lengthening and weakness of muscles that sit anterior (in front of) the neck and shortening of the muscles that sit at the posterior (back of the neck). This muscle imbalance will result in increased strain and cause pain, feeling of muscle tightness. It is advised that you should get your neck pain assessed and diagnosed by a physiotherapist who can then provide right stretching or strengthening exercises to manage the pain and improve the cervical spine muscles’ strength.
3 Exercises to help relieve neck pain and strain
Here are three simple exercises that our physiotherapist Pav has put together to assist manage neck pain and strain.
1. Cervical spine lateral neck stretch
- Place the hands by your sides.
- Now, bend your neck so that your ear comes closer to the shoulder.
- Hold this position for 30-60 seconds. Repeat the stretch three times on each side.
- You can place one hand behind the low of the back while bending the neck to the opposite side to increase the stretch on the muscle.
2. Chin tuck to strengthen the deep neck flexor muscles.
- Start in a seated position with your shoulders relaxed.
- Look straight forward.
- Tuck your chin in, as to resemble a double chin, hold this position.
- Start with 7-10 repeats of 5-10sec holds and gradually build as the pain settles and muscle strength improves.
3. Cervical (neck) muscle strengthening – combination of flexors and extensors’ isometrics
- Start in a seated position.
- Take your hand and place it on your forehead.
- Gently push your head into your hand and hold.
- Take your hand and place it on the back of your head, push your head into your hand and hold.
- Place your hand on the side of your head and gently push your head into your hand and hold.
- Place your hand on the other side of your head and gently push your head into your hand and hold.
- Start with 7-10 repeats of 5-10sec holds and gradually build as the pain settles and muscle strength improves.
If you have neck pain, contact us at Wyndham Physio and Rehabilitation and our physiotherapists can assist with assessment and diagnosis of the neck pain and provide appropriate exercises for rehabilitation.
Written by:
Pallavi Deshmukh
APA Titled Sports & MSK Physiotherapist, MACP