Lately I've seen patients with a lot of muscle tension in their
neck and shoulders. Their shoulders are hunched up under their ears, and
their necks so stiff they can barely move them. Severe neck and
shoulder stiffness and pain may require physical therapy to alleviate
symptoms, but I'd like to share with you the things you can do to both
prevent and alleviate neck and shoulder pain.
Causes of Neck and Shoulder Pain
My
patients are surprised when I tell them that most neck and shoulder
stress/pain is caused by structural stress, simple things we do everyday
that can cause neck and shoulder pain:
o Bad posture - Sitting,
or standing, with poor posture, or slouching, causes your head to tilt
forward putting continual torque on neck and shoulder muscles to prevent
your head from sliding forward.
o Raising the shoulder muscles -
In our daily routine, we continuously, usually unknowingly, raise the
levator scapulae, the major muscles of the shoulders. This creates
tension of the neck and base of skull muscles. We do this in a few ways:
1.
Typing at a keyboard that is too high - and/or resting your elbows on
arm rests of a too low chair while you work at a desk causes your
shoulders to ride up. Spend 8 hours everyday, 5 days a week doing this
and you can cause pain in your neck and shoulders.
2. Cradling a
phone between your ear and shoulder - many of us do this several times a
day if our jobs require talking on the phone.
3. Doing overhead
work that causes you to lift your arms above your head for long periods
of time, like painting ceilings, lifting heavy boxes to high shelves,
etc.
4. A constant state of anxiety brought on by chronic stress.
This causes us to literally "get our back up", raising and holding our
shoulders in a kind of self-protective posture, much like an animal will
arch their back, and put their head down perceiving an attack.
Warning Symptoms of Chronic Neck and Shoulder Pain
Most
of us are familiar with that general uncomfortable feeling like a tight
band is around our neck and shoulders and perhaps some very sore
trigger points, areas that when touched makes us wince. In addition, we
might not be able to move our head to either side without causing pain
in our necks and shoulders. However, with poor repetitive structural
habits, you could have symptoms of compressed nerves in your cervical
spine that require a doctor:
oNumbness or tingling in hands and/or fingertips.
oBurning sensations in the muscles of the upper arms.
oWeakness lifting the arms, and/or dropping objects.
oHeadaches
and/or constant tenderness in the occipital muscles, that band of
muscles at the base of your head that extends from ear to ear.
A Simple Exercise To Relieve Tightness
Below is a simple stretching exercise you can do a few times a day while working to relax neck and shoulder muscles:
oBend head forward, chin on chest, then back to original position.
oHead forward, bend your head to the right, then back to original position; bend to the left, then back to original position.
oBend head slightly backward, then to the original position.
oBend head forward, chin to chest, tilt head to the right, then to the left.
Other Things You Can Do
Simple, common sense will help keep your neck and shoulder muscles healthy:
oObserve
correct workspace ergonomics for your job. Adjust chair and keyboard
height. Use a headset or speakerphone to avoid phone cradling.
oObserve
good overhead mechanics. Take frequent stretching breaks to relax the
neck and shoulder muscles. Practice correct lifting of heavy items. Most
of us don't have forklifts at home or in our offices, so break down
heavy boxes into more manageable sizes.
oDo aerobic exercise like walking, running, rebounding, to reduce tension.
oDrink
water. Muscles and joints need adequate water to function properly. At
least eight, 8 oz glasses per day, or more depending on your weight,
environment (very cold, very hot needs more) and activity.
oGet a
massage - acupressure massage done by a professional practitioner can
work wonders on tight neck and shoulder muscles, relieving pain.
oA
warm bath in Epsom salts will help remove lactic acid build up in stiff
and sore muscles that can cause pain. An analgesic cream containing
menthol can help relax tight muscles further.
oCalcium and magnesium supplements can also help relieve tension and pain in tight muscles.
Even
though you might not be able to remove stress from your life, or
completely avoid physical maneuvers that strain your neck and shoulder
muscles, you can remove, or greatly alleviate, the tension in your neck
and shoulders that can develop. Adhering to good neck and shoulder
habits, and spending a few minutes each day doing simple stretching
exercises can help you manage muscle tension so it doesn't continue to
be a serious pain in your neck.
