Neck Pain Q&A

Neck Pain | Neck Pain Do's & Don'ts | Neck Pain Q&A | Headaches & Neck Pain

Q.  Do you have any quick tips for preventing neck pain while sitting at a desk?

A.  Whenever possible, position yourself so that you are looking straight ahead and so your body is in a fairly straight line with your work.

Avoid leaning and reaching at extreme angles. Take time to organize your work area so that objects you use most are within easy reach. It is usually smarter to get up from your chair rather than reach across a long distance on a repetitive basis.

When using a computer, try to place the monitor directly in front of you. Your eyes should be level with the screen. Looking too far up or down for extended periods can cause problems ranging from muscular tension and spasm to headaches, neck and shoulder pain.

One of the worst things that you can do to your neck is to hold the telephone on your upraised shoulder while you use the computer, type, or write. Phone accessories that raise the telephone to your ear help, but the muscles are still tensed and the neck is bent at an unnatural angle. Speakerphones are a much less dangerous option. Telephone headsets are ideal for someone who uses the phone regularly, and can literally save you a great deal of headache.

Purchasing an anti-glare filter is usually a good idea, even if your computer has one built in. Eyestrain from even a small amount of glare can lead to headaches and neck and shoulder tension.

Q.  Is there anything I can do to prevent stiff necks? 

A.  Don’t sit directly under air conditioning vents for extended periods when you are experiencing pain in your neck and shoulders. (Excessive cold air blowing directly on your muscles increases possibility of spasms and stiff necks.) Keep your neck and shoulders warm when traveling on an airplane. You might want to  travel with a scarf for this purpose.

Also, avoid sleeping on your stomach.  There is no way to sleep on your stomach without putting some torque or twisting in your spine, especially in the neck region. This can be harmful to the spinal column because it puts pressure on the delicate spinal nerves over an extended period of time, and may result in stiffness, neck pain, and headaches. 

The ideal position for sleeping is on your back, with a pillow under your neck to support the cervical curve. If you sleep on your side, try to switch sides frequently and position your pillow so that your head and neck are level with the bed and not tilted at an angle. Since there is less stress on the lower back when your legs are bent, try sleeping with a pillow under your knees if you are sleeping on your back, or between your knees if you sleep on your side.  

Q.  Dr. Suzy,  do you have any good tips for relieving neck and shoulder pain naturally?

A.  There are a multitude of reasons why millions of people suffer from muscle spasms, tension, and pain in the neck area, sometimes on a daily basis. To find the cause of the problem, it is often necessary to seek help from a Doctor of Chiropractic or other qualified Health Care Provider.  Fortunately, there are a number of things that you can do on your own at home or at work to help relieve and possibly eliminate muscle spasms and tension that lead to neck pain and discomfort.

Quite often the cause of neck pain is closely related to muscle spasms and painful trigger points in the neck, upper back, and shoulder region. Seeking out alternative and holistic solutions for neck pain is often the answer for many individuals.  Some effective neck pain relief solutions include:  Massage therapy including many different types of bodywork therapy such as craniosacral work, assisted stretching, trigger point therapy tools such as the Backnobber, Biofeedback, nutritional supplements for neck pain and headaches, stress reduction techniques, proper body mechanics, quality cervical or neck pillows, proper lifting and computer usage ergonomics, and a wide variety of other natural and safe solutions.

It is important to take time to listen to your body and educate yourself so that you can prevent neck pain and stiffness and related symptoms such as headaches and tingling, pain, and numbness in the arms. When stretching the neck muscles, never use quick, jerky motions. Avoid extreme rotation, flexion, and extension of the head, which can damage the delicate cervical tissue, including nerves and discs.

Instead, slowly and gently stretch the neck side-to-side by bringing the ear toward the shoulder. This is much safer and more effective than the rapid rolling of the head in a circle. I literally cringe every time I see a boxer, football player, or other athlete quickly jerk their head from side to side or rapidly roll their head in a circle around their shoulders.

There are three natural curves in the spine that naturally increase its strength and flexibility: the cervical curve in the neck, the thoracic curve in the mid back, and the lower back or lumbar curve. Just as the curve in a bridge or other structure increases its weight bearing capacity, so too, do the curves in your spine. Loss of the cervical curve can be a result of overstretching of the ligaments, as is often seen after a serious car accident. This loss of curve can result in decreased weight bearing strength of the neck supporting the head and can cause pain and stiffness, possibly affecting vital nerve flow.

Just as there is a continuous flow between the fluids on a cellular level, there is also a certain flow, similar to electricity, within the nervous system. Whenever there is an obstruction of the nerve flow, the part of the body that is supplied by that nerve does not function at its fullest potential. One of the things that you can do to stimulate proper nerve flow is to obtain a sufficient amount of exercise. The lymphatic system and the digestive system function more efficiently with proper physical activity, and the nervous system is no exception.

 Q.  What kind of pillow should I use?

A.  This is an important question since sleeping on a pillow that does not properly support your neck or causes it to tilt forward can gradually decrease the angle of the cervical curve and cause pain, stiffness and misalignment of the vertebrae over time. There are three natural curves in the spine that naturally increase its strength and flexibility: the cervical curve in the neck, the thoracic curve in the mid back, and the lower back or lumbar curve. Just as the curve in a bridge or other structure increases its weight bearing capacity, so too, do the curves in your spine.

Loss of the cervical curve can be a result of overstretching of the ligaments, as is often seen after a serious car accident. This loss of curve can result in decreased weight bearing strength of the neck supporting the head and can cause pain and stiffness, possibly affecting vital nerve flow.

Sometimes it seems that I have been researching and searching for the perfect pillow for most of my adult life. There are a multitude of different types of cervical or neck pillows available on the market today. If you are like most people, you have tried at least a few different types, and hopefully found a pillow that you are comfortable with.

I personally have a stack of different pillows that I have given a chance and then thrown in the attic or given away. If you are still experimenting with different pillows, trying to find the perfect one, you may find the following information helpful.

As is often the case, the most expensive frequently advertised pillows aren’t always the best ones. Some people swear by Tempurpedic or memory foam type pillows that are made of a foam type material that bounces back after applied pressure is removed. I know many people who are extremely particular about pillows who say that they can’t sleep on anything but this type of pillow. A few people that I know prefer buckwheat filled pillows, but the noise they make as you are sleeping is annoying to some people.

Others prefer air or water filled pillows. The concept behind water based pillows is great, but many people find them to heavy or awkward to use. I’ll probably always experiment with pillows searching for the ideal one. At present, my favorite pillow is one that wasn’t even designed for sleeping, but rather for hugging or stress relief. Perhaps you have seen the lightweight, huggable, small roll shaped pillows covered in micro fiber type material and filled with tiny micro beads of polystyrene in drug stores or airport kiosks. I have several and prefer the more substantial higher quality versions. Since they are inexpensive, I simply buy a new one when the old one stretches out.

Also, feather pillows are ideal for providing support without being overly hard, and will conform to the contours of your neck more easily than a foam pillow. The problem with feather pillows, however, is that, often, they are simply too flat. If you are industrious, you can actually open up the seam and adjust the firmness by adding or removing more feathers until the pillow is more comfortable for you. You may even want to tie a ribbon around the middle to give it more of a butterfly shape.

The procedure is a little messy, but many people have found it very effective. Whenever possible, do not forget to take your most comfortable pillow with you when traveling, since hotel pillows are notoriously flat and hard, and often the cause of torticollis or stiffness in the neck region. I sometimes take a small pillow with me on extended airline flights along with a cozy scarf or wrap, since cold drafts (especially on planes and in hotel rooms) seem to frequently trigger stiff necks.

The bottom line, in my opinion, is to listen to the innate intelligence of your unique body and take time to take care of your delicate neck.  Keep experimenting until you found the perfect pillow that is just right for you.