Neck Pain

Neck pain is a common condition and the causes of pain are varied.

Occasionally, an injury can occur very suddenly. This may be due to sudden movements of your neck or an accident, such as a whiplash injury. In these cases, it is possible that you have strained the soft tissues of your neck. In the neck these are the bones, joints, and muscle. You also have discs, which sit between your vertebral bones, and allow for movement between the bones.

For many people, neck pain comes on more gradually. Often the cause of pain is unknown and cannot be attributed to damage to the soft tissues of the neck. This is why health guidelines do not recommend routine imaging for people with neck pain.

If you are an office worker, sitting and working for prolonged periods is often a cause of neck pain. It’s important to check that your chair, desk and computer are set-up correctly. There is a ‘Posture’ video in TrackActive Me that will help you make changes to this if needed.

If you have a long history or recurrences of pain, it’s important to remember that pain is not always due to structural damage. You can be feeling pain if you have lost muscle strength or if you aren’t moving often enough. And it can also be worse if you feel anxious and fearful about your pain.

The good news is that there is a lot you can do to reduce your pain. Research demonstrates that exercises and keeping physically active is the best thing to get you back on track. For office workers, taking regular breaks to do exercises and move can be beneficial.

TrackActive Me provides you with an exercise program to help you do this. You can also access other advice videos that will help you recover and reduce your pain.