neck pain

3 Tricks for Ending Neck Pain

Pain in the neck is, well, a pain in the neck. And some two-thirds of us will suffer from it at some point, says orthopedic spine surgeon Samuel Cho, MD, of The Mount Sinai Medical Center.

We turned to Sharecare experts for their best ways to conquer three common causes of neck pain.

Cause #1: Tight shoulders

When the muscles that control your shoulders tense up, they pass stress along to your neck, says physical therapist Rick Olderman, author of the Fixing You book series. Your trapezius (that’s the muscle that connects your shoulders to your neck) is a particular culprit here. Happily, there’s an easy way to stretch it out: the side neck stretch. But don’t stop there. Your shoulder blades can also get in on the pain-causing action, especially if you spend the day working at a computer. Going hours without raising your arms allows gravity to push down on your shoulder blades, causing them to tense up, says Olderman. Try this back of the neck stretch for some sweet release.

Cause #2: Poor posture

It’s all too easy to succumb to “turtlehead”—think head forward, chin jutting out, shoulders rounded—when much of your day is spent slumped in a chair. Not only can that stress your neck, but it can also weaken the muscles in your neck and shoulders, says Sharecare’s Chief Science Officer Mike Clark, DPT. Learn how to fight back here (click on “More” under Dr. Clark’s answer).

Cause #3: The wrong pillow

You spend nearly a third of your life snoozing, and how you sleep is bound to have an effect on your body. One common problem is sleeping on a pillow that isn’t doing all it could to give your neck the support it needs. Watch this video from Mehmet Oz, MD (click on “More” under his answer) to discover an ingenious solution, plus learn what to do if neck pain is already an unwelcome part of your life.

Do you have a great secret for banishing neck pain? Share it in the comment section below.

Join the largest health conversation in 140 characters or less! Tweet what you want to talk about to @SharecareNow and let’s start chatting!

Join the largest health conversation in 140 characters or less! Tweet what you want to talk about to @SharecareNow and let’s start chatting!

File under: Fit Friday

Contributor

Su Reid-St. John

Su Reid-St. John is Sharecare's Senior Fitness Editor. Before joining the team, she spent over a decade on Health magazine's editorial team, overseeing all things exercise-related during the majority of her time there. She lives in Birmingham, AL with her husband (Eric), daughter (Zoe), and cat (Lucy), and can be found inline skating, Nordic walking, cycling, doing yoga, and strength training (TRX is her new obsession) whenever time allows.

View my Sharecare profile

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Comments

  1. pselgee

    I suffered for so long with neck pain from whip lash injuries, heavy lifting, and reading. I have arthritis in my neck. At first I had it cracked. That does not really work, because spastic muscles were pulling the bones. I got short term relief and no real improvement.
    Finally I found a good physical therapist, and believe me, they are not all equally qualified! Some did more harm than good.
    First he examined my neck to see what the issue was. All the joints were locked.
    He had me relax 20 minutes on moist heated pads to relax the muscle spasms. Then he began loosening the vertabre by turning my head from side to side and restoring range of motion. He also gently stretched my neck. After several sessions, I could turn my head easily and was free from pain.
    Now if I get a stiff neck, I do not stay immobile. A soak in a hot tub, then i gently turn my head from side to side. I can increase the range of motion by using my hands to help turn my head until I reclaim my full range of motion.
    I do have one of those shaped pillows, but I would kill for that bed of nails one he showed on his show.

    July 17th, 2012, 9:11 pm
  2. Wani

    Background info: I’m 23 years old female. I ieujrnd my back about 7 or 8 years ago, I got whiplash from a bucking horse. They think I tore muscles and ligaments in my lower back, nothing was broken for the X-rays. I did physical therapy (PT) for it for about 6 months. About 3 weeks ago I found out that my left leg is about 3 cm longer than my right and could be causing some of my back pain. Oh and I have consent lower back pain. About 1 year ago in March I was diagnosed with lateral tracking of the patella on my right knee. I did 6 months of PT for it and I’m back in PT for it and have been doing it for a month and half. I got an MRI and it was clean, nothing torn or broken. The surgeon says I definitely have knee pain but the cause of it is unknown and surgery right now is not a option. I can’t run, go up or down stairs with out pain, sitting or standing for a long time hurts, driving hurts sometimes, I cant put all or some of my weight on it. I get a burning pain in the inside of knee, it makes a popping feeling, and on the top outer ledge of it. I’m going to go see an orthopedic spine surgeon this week, but this would be doctor number 4 that I have seen for my knee. I really just want to run again and have someone tell me that they know why I’m in so much pain. I can deal with the back pain b/c that never stopped me from running, riding, or got in the way of my life but my knee has. So if anyone can give me clues or help me out with this I would greatly appreciate it. If anyone knows of a Dr. House for knees please let me know!

    July 29th, 2012, 8:47 am

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