Neck Pain Management
Posted on July 3, 2008, under Health.
Most of us suffer at some time during our life from pain arising from the neck which is felt in the shoulder blade, the upper or lower arm, the hands or even the head.The pain usually comes intermittently but can sometimes last for months or even years.It often makes life miserable and forces individuals to reduce their activities in order due to stretched or weak ligaments and muscles.
Regular exercises and maintaining proper posture in daily activities and at work can reduce the chance of getting afflicted with neck pain.
It has attained epidemic proportions mainly due to bad postures, sedentary lifestyles and professions sitting.For a proper posture, the small inward curve in the neck should be maintained.When standing upright, the head should be directly above the shoulders.In an often assumed bad posture, people carry their head forward in front of their body.Professions requiring prolonged sitting, especially those related to computer use or night shifts, predispose to a bad posture and neck pain.
Despite a lot of research, there has been no computer design which allows an ideal posture.Laptops generally put the most stress on the neck.People often slouch in the chairs putting a lot of stress on the neck.In present day lifestyle, the neck is also stressed while relaxing in an improper chair, reading or watching television while lying on the bed or improper use of pillow(thick pillow while lying on the back or too thin one while lying on the side).
Management of neck pain involves trying to reduce the chance of recurrence.Neck pain can generally be managed by anti-inflammatory drugs, hot fomentation, local application of counter irritant gels and deep heat therapy with physiotherapy gadgets.
Cervical epidural steroid injections or surgery are required only in three to five percent of patients.Reducing the chance of recurrences mainly involves strengthening the muscles of the neck through general conditioning exercises(walking, swimming, cycling, aerobics, etc) as well as neck exercises, maintaining proper posture in daily activities and at work.
