As Osteopaths we understand that during times of stress, poor sleep or by spending long hours at the desk or in the car, that neck pain is a common problem that many of us have experienced at some point in our lives.

It’s not uncommon for us to be speaking with someone first thing in the morning who may have woken up with intense neck pain in which they cannot turn their neck or support their head to get up off the pillow.

Pain in the neck can be acute or chronic. It can also be a constant presence or something that often comes and goes.

Causes of neck pain

There are many factors that may include but not be limited to;

•         Muscle spasms
•         Arthritis
•         Nerve impingement
•         Muscle weakness
•         Poor posture
•         Disc degeneration/bulge

Neck pain can be dull or sharp and cause stiffness when trying to turn your neck side to side or when looking up or down. It can also be accompanied by a headache or refer pain down the arm or back along the shoulder blade.

What can I do when i have it?

Some steps you can do straight away to help minimize your neck pain and prevent it from getting

worse can be to; 

•         Apply heat to the neck muscles to relax the tension- using either a heat pack or heat cream
• .       A warm bath to help relax the tight muscles 
•         Avoid lifting or carrying heavy objects which will aggravate the neck muscles
•         Avoid overhead movements which will put more tension on the neck and the muscles

.         Stay mobile, sitting and not moving can allow the muscles to become more tight and aggravate the pain more.

How can an Osteopath Help?

Osteopaths diagnose and treat patients who suffer with neck pain daily. We take a thorough case history, do a full examination, perform special tests and then with your permission, treat appropriately. 

We always explain what we have found and take time to explain why this may have occurred or what may be the factors that keep causing your neck pain to continually reoccur. 

As Osteopaths we treat holistically. This means we look at other areas of the body such as the back, shoulders and jaw. We may also ask you questions on your posture, work/sleep habits and exercise to better understand your pain. 

Our management plan is to help treat the source of the pain and not just the symptoms. This can be through prescribed rehabilitation, strengthening and stretching programs.

If you’re suffering from neck pain visit your local Osteopath at Live Well Health Centre to see how they can get you back to doing the things you want to do.