Approximately 50% of people experience neck pain at some point in their lives.
Given that our neck has the duty of supporting and pointing our head in nearly all directions, it’s not surprising that it can occasionally feel stiff and sore.
Common causes of a sore neck include:
- tense neck or shoulder muscles,
- reduced strength in shoulder or neck muscles,
- repetitive stress (doing too much), and
- prolonged poor posture.
It may even be a combination of all these things!
Neck pain can usually be linked to a specific incident, however, most cases of neck pain are minor injuries that can occur during completely normal daily tasks and movements.
For the most part, neck pain is often short-lived. But sometimes it can affect us for weeks or even longer.
Whatever the duration, it’s certainly a pain in the neck (excuse pun!) during this time: simple things like getting up from bed can be troublesome, checking over your shoulder to reverse the car might feel impossible, and doing the activities you love such as gardening or cooking can become a burden. It can also cause headaches and even change the sensation in our limbs.
The good news is that neck pain is manageable.
This can be through learning strategies to optimise the way we do things, specific exercises to help regain strength and neck mobility, and through appropriate hands-on therapy.
Physiotherapists have the knowledge and skill required to help you return to the things you love doing. However, if unsure, a GP is also a great first point of contact; they can provide initial guidance for yourself or somebody you know with neck pain.
Nevertheless, here are some simple exercises that have our nod of approval. By spending a few minutes each day you can help ease some muscle tension and improve the flexibility of your neck!
Looking left and then right (Checking for traffic!)
- Sit in an upright chair (e.g. dining chair) with your hands and shoulders relaxed.
- Slowly turn your head to the left, making sure your nose points straight across the room (not at the ceiling or floor). Hold for 3 seconds.
- Slowly turn your head to the right, making sure your nose still points straight across the room (not at the ceiling or floor). Hold for 3 seconds.
- Repeat 5-10 times.
Looking up and then down (Scanning the sky and ground!)
- Sit in an upright chair (e.g. dining chair) with your hands and shoulders relaxed.
- Slowly look up at the sky/ceiling above your head. Hold for 3 seconds.
- Slowly look down, gently bringing your chin to your neck. Hold for 3 seconds.
- Repeat 5-10 times.
Ear to shoulder (Peaking around the corner!)
- Sit in an upright chair (e.g. dining chair) with your hands and shoulders relaxed.
- Slowly bring your left ear towards your left shoulder, making sure your nose is pointing forward and keeping your shoulders still. Hold for 3 seconds.
- Slowly bring your right ear towards your right shoulder, making sure your nose is pointing forward and keeping your shoulders still. Hold for 3 seconds.
- Repeat 5-10 times.
Deep neck flexor pokes (Pointy chin, double chin!)
- Sit in an upright chair (e.g. dining chair) with your hands and shoulders relaxed.
- Slowly bring your chin forward (pointy chin), keeping your back against the chair. Hold for 3 seconds.
- Slowly bring your chin back towards your neck (make a double chin). Hold for 3 seconds.
- Repeat 5-10 times.
Enjoy a walk!
- Walking is great because it changes our position, gets our blood pumping, and helps our muscles (and mind!) relax afterwards.
- Check the weather to make sure it suits you.
- Start small. For you this could be a walk to the letter box, driveway, or 10 houses down your street. But best to start small if you are unsure.
- Reward yourself by enjoying the flowering plants, the cars, greeting people, or even just the different environment around you.
- Invite your loved one to join you for some fresh air the next time around!
We hope this helps you to better understand what you can do to help address any sore neck issues you may be experiencing. To find out more, feel free to contact a trained TPC physiotherapist by calling us on 1300 797 793.
Article written by Daniel Tran (Physiotherapist)