20-50% of people in the UK have neck pain every year. This will often result in restricted neck movement and headaches. Doctors estimate 7 out of 10 people will suffer from neck pain at some point in their lifetime.
The head is the heaviest part of the body and the average adult head weighs between 4.5 and 5 kilograms. Hence, neck position can cause stress and strain to the neck muscles and joints, resulting in pain and stiffness.
5 causes of neck pain:
The most common causes of neck pain as:
1) Working at a desk for prolonged periods without a break. This places neck muscles under tension and strain.
2) Looking down at phones, laptops, tablets and hobby activities e.g. knitting, sewing, reading and handicrafts.
3) Poor sleep position, particularly lying on your front.
4) Holding the phone to your ear for long periods.
5) Poor sitting posture, especially sitting with the neck twisted.
Preventative advice:
In our modern day world, we live a more a sedentary lifestyle. Holding our heads in one position for prolonged periods, along with neck and shoulder tension, makes us more susceptible to neck pain and headaches.
Taking into account the following tips will help reduce the chances of you experiencing these symptoms.
Top tips:
- Take regular breaks: try to stand up and roll your shoulders and neck every 20 minutes.
- Ensure your neck is well supported by a good quality pillow and the head remains in a neutral position i.e. aligned with the rest of the spine. You can find more information for this in our ‘sleep’ section of the blog page.
- If possible, when talking on the phone, use a headset, earpiece or speakerphone to avoid the strain on the neck.
- When looking at one thing for a long period of time e.g. television, laptop or book, ensure it is directly in front of you to avoid twisting your neck.
- Regular exercises for your neck and shoulders will help to prevent the incidence of neck pain and headaches (cervicogenic headaches). These should include slow stretching exercises to your neck and shoulders. Remember to stop if these become painful.
