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Sitting Posture Causes Back and Neck Pain

Neck, Shoulder & Arm Pain

Neck pain or cervicalgia is rapidly becoming even more common in the last 15 years with at least 80% of the population suffering episodes of severe neck pain.

The lower neck and upper back joints and muscles support your head and it is here that neck pain starts. Neck pain may include the whole structure of the neck: bones (vertebrae), the discs between the bones, muscles and ligaments.

If your neck pain involves nerves, you can feel numbness, weakness or tingling as well as pain in your shoulder, arm or hand.

Neck pain, often with referred shoulder and arm and hand pain, can be caused by injury, trauma, anxiety, stress, awkward sleeping positions, herniated discs. whiplash, muscle strain or tension.

Many of us are suffering poor neck posture on our mobile phones, hand-held devices and computer keyboards.

How to prevent neck pain

  • Learn safe stretching exercises for your neck and upper body. Osteopathic & Chiropractic therapists will intelligently teach you specific exercises.
  • If you work at a computer please consult us for a postural examination and we will advise you how to sit properly, maintaining healthy posture. Advice from many ergonomists and so-called experts in health and safety may be incorrect. Learn to sit the way we have perfected which is ideal for the neck and spine.
  • Take care of your ergonomics and the future of your neck so when you're 70 or 90 you don't have disc degeneration with a painful neck. Respect your future self so that your old age is happy and pain-free.
  • To save your neck and achieve good desk seated posture, an osteopath will give you important ergonomic advice.
  • Sleeping: Reward yourself with a high-quality, sprung mattress which needs to be medium-firm to firm to support your lower back and pelvis comfortably, but ideally with a cotton sleeper to soften the surface. Your pillow needs to be soft enough to be comfortable but also firm enough to support your head and neck comfortably. We help you with our experience and impartial advice.

For minor causes of neck pain

  • Give yourself a rest from your normal physical activity for a few days - this will help reduce inflammation and calm symptoms.
  • Gently stretch the neck muscles, with slow range-of-motion exercises, side to side and up and down. Sudden and intense ‘acute neck pain’ due to a locked facet joint or a trapped pinched nerve may result in protective muscle spasm and referred pain to the head, shoulder, upper middle-back (between the shoulder blades) or into the arm, depending on which nerve or muscles are inflamed. There may be underlying problems such as slipped disc or bulging discs, osteoporosis (brittle bones), excessive curvature of the spine (scoliosis) and, very rarely, structural damage due to tumours or infection. Car accidents involving whiplash injury can result in acute or chronic neck pain which takes many months to improve with careful management.

Pain lasting longer than 3 months is 'chronic neck pain'.

  • Treatment only starts after a full patient history, physical examination, review of family history and a thorough health check of the relevant body systems have been completed.
  • Tests may include digital X-rays if necessary, CT or MRI scans, EMG, referral for laboratory blood and urine analysis and referral to a specialist depending on each individual patient Reducing pain, improving range of motion and restoring neck and back spinal function.

Chiropractic, Physical Therapy, Medical Acupuncture, Therapeutic Massage.

  • Chiropractic - specific, gentle spinal manipulation to remobilise and rehabilitate spinal joint function and posture.
  • Physical Therapy - laser, ultrasound, electrotherapy, massage, exercise and rehabilitation
  • Medical Acupuncture and Therapeutic Massage helps alleviate chronic back, neck and shoulder pain
  • Postural treatment and rehabilitation - Advice on ergonomic seating, sit / stand desks, screen height & position
  • A combination of these various approaches varies from patient to patient. We always take into consideration your comfort, preferences and past experience as well as your response to treatment and observations made during the course of treatment.

Goals

  • Manipulation of the cervical spine or neck region is a gentle and extremely specialised technique, used by our highly trained and experienced Doctors of Chiropractic for patients complaining of neck, upper back, and shoulder/arm pain, as well as headaches.
  • Chiropractic is considered a treatment for a range of cervical spine conditions as well as many conditions affecting the lower back.
  • Chiropractors also use adjunctive therapy to treat cervical spine complaints. These include massage, therapeutic heat and/or cold application and gentle stretching and strengthening exercises.

Danger signs

If any of the following symptoms occur, CALL 000 or seek urgent medical attention.

  • Neck pain of meningitis - rash develops but doesn't fade if pressed with a glass.
  • Disc prolapse in the neck with loss of muscle power in arms or legs.
  • Sensitivity to light - photophobia, severe headache or intense pain behind eye.
  • Neck pain from recent head injury with drowsiness, confusion or vomiting.
  • Neck pain with severe headache, fever or continuous vomiting.
  • Disturbances of vision, hearing, taste or balance.
  • Severe pain on neck forward flexion.

Call now for an appointment with a qualified massage practitioner in Surry Hills on (02) 9698 4928.

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