Reducing Chronic Neck Pain

Chronic neck pain is an extremely common issue we see here, especially in people that work at a desk job.

To fix it, there are a few steps that should be taken.

1. Stay cogniscent of your posture. Looking at your phone or computer with a rounded back and neck will cause nothing but problems. A simple fix is to keep your shoulders back and keep your screen level with your eyes to stay in a neutral position. Posture correction is the best way to decrease pain immediately and can improve circulation, increase energy, ease breathing, improve mood, and otherwise boost your daily wellbeing.

2. Keep moving. Many problems arise from a sedentary lifestyle, the most common being tightness. Taking 5-10 minutes every hour or couple hours just to stand up and move, shaking your arms/legs out and doing some simple mobility movements will go a long ways towards limiting tightness.

3. Stretch. The best times of day to stretch are in the morning before you start your day, and at the end of the day when you get home from work or are preparing for bed. Taking a few minutes to go through a routine of stretches to work your whole body can reduce pain while also aiding mental health, sleep, and many other aspects of your quality of life.

5. Strengthen. When primary muscles are weak, joints and secondary muscles are forced to step in and take some of the workload. Because they aren't designed to take that kind of strain, they become tight and sore. Strengthening your primary muscles, the shoulders in this case, will ensure they do the work they need and allow your traps, shoulder joint, and rhomboids to relax and do minimal work.