The neck (cervical spine) has a hard time in general, holding your head on your shoulders! Over 2/3 of the population will experience a form of neck pain at some point in their lives. With increasing workloads, reduced breaks and higher stress levels than ever before pain in the muscles and joints of the neck are all too frequent.
Neck pain is commonly the accumulative effect of stress in the neck but can be the result of a one off incident, such as a car accident (whiplash) or after sleeping awkwardly (wry or ‘cricked’ neck). It is commonly associated with restricted movements, general aching during prolonged sitting and discomfort at night. Pain can be referred from the neck down into the arm or shoulder blade region.
Treatment starts with establishing where pain is coming from and why it has occurred. Then a methodical approach is created in conjunction with the patient to reagin full movement, reduce pain and prevent future re-occurance. Posture and ergonomics (desk set-up) play a major role and patients are advised on these as well.