Your neck is home to a number of muscles that help to support the weight of your head and all its movements. These flexible muscles typically have no problem providing this support, but if we put our heads in odd positions or consistently have poor posture, these muscles can become injured. When these muscles become injured, it can lead to the onset of muscle tension. We explore the symptoms and treatment options for neck tension in today’s blog.
What Exactly Is Neck Tension?
Neck tension occurs when the muscles in the neck can’t properly relax. If you’re constantly in a poor posture position, your neck muscles will be tasked with handling the weight and stress that is being displaced on it by your head. Neck tension can also occur if injury or stress to the neck muscles cause spasms. These involuntary muscle contractions are often painful and continue to stress that already overworked muscle.
Tension in the cervical spine tends to develop because of posture issues, but sometimes we don’t even realize that we’re causing our neck muscles to work overtime. If you’re regularly craning your head forward when sitting at your work desk, or if you just sleep in an odd position, your neck can bear the brunt of this stress. This is why it’s so important to be mindful of your head and neck positioning throughout the day, because it’s easy to miss signs that you’re stressing your neck.
Symptoms of neck tension include:
- Neck pain
- Muscles spasms
- A feeling of tightness or stiffness in the neck
- Difficulty moving your neck in certain directions
- Pain that worsens when moving your head in certain directions
Treating Neck Tension
While neck tension may not seem like an issue that requires your full attention and quick treatment, it’s unlikely to go away on its own. Moreover, active treatment options typically yield great results, so making minor changes to your daily life can often help free you from painful neck tension. Here are some common treatment options for cervical tension.
- Stretching – Stretching is a great way to improve muscle flexibility and help work out some of the tension that has developed in the area. Hold your head to the left and right and apply some gentle pressure for about 5-10 seconds, and mix in some circular neck rotations. If you stretch your neck 2-3 times a day, odds are you’ll see a decrease in tension in the area.
- Heat/Ice – A hot or cold regimen has also been shown to be helpful in treating neck tension. 10-15 minutes of hot or cold therapy a couple times a day can help ease muscle tension in the area. If you don’t have a heat pad, consider taking a warm bath.
- Anti-Inflammatories – If muscle injury is leading to an inflammatory response from your body, some of this pressure can be relieved with over the counter anti-inflammatory medications. Try pairing anti-inflammatories with other treatment options for best results.
- Posture Awareness – Simply being aware of your posture and taking steps to keep your head and neck in the proper position can really help to reduce neck tension. Perform regular posture checks when you’re at your computer, driving in the car or watching TV on the couch. It’s these non-active times when we often do most damage to our neck in terms of poor posture!
- See A Specialist – A spine specialist can provide more hands-on treatment for your neck. Whether that’s in the form of manual manipulation or developing a targeted physical therapy plan, a specialist can often help when other treatments have failed to yield results.
So if you’re battling neck tension or chronic neck pain, consider reaching out to Dr. Sinicropi and his team today to see how he can help you.
