Neck pain

Neck pain can be one specific area, or it can refer into the head, causing headaches.

The neck is made up of bones (vertebrae), muscles, nerves, ligaments, tendons, lymph nodes, blood vessels, glands, your voice box (larynx), the oesophagus, which is the food pipe, and the trachea or windpipe. The neck has to support the head whilst also providing it with mobility.

Most people have a head approximately the weight of a bowling ball. In bad posture the neck typically moves forward on top of the shoulders. If you had to hold a bowling ball out in front of you all day you would get tired very quickly, which is exactly what happens to the neck.

In good posture there should be a smooth curve (or lordosis) in the neck. Ideally it would be between 35 and 43 degrees and it would be a circular curve.

There are many potential causes of neck pain which may be hereditary, caused by lifestyle or injury. Neck pain is frequently the result of sleeping poorly or sitting at a desk all day. A combination of gentle spinal adjustments and tailored strengthening exercises can be provided by practitioners.

Ice, wrapped in a towel to avoid direct contact with the skin, can be also applied to the neck to reduce the inflammation, for no longer than 10 minutes.