Last Updated on March 15, 2024
According to Harvard Medical Health, approximately 7 out of 10 people experience neck pain at some point in their lives. Below is a list of common day-to-day activities that may be causing your neck pain, and how we can help address your pain.
Text-neck Posture
-
We’ve all heard of text-neck, and there’s a good chance you’re looking down at your phone while reading this. This posture is described as having your back slumped, shoulders rounded and your head forward and looking down. Text-neck posture compresses the joints, ligaments and muscles in the front portion of your neck, while over-elongating those same structures in the back of your neck, creating an imbalance that leads to tension, pain and weakness.
Old Injuries
-
Injuries from the past aren’t always resolved when we think they are and can lead to weak muscles, restricted movement and long lasting, chronic pain. For example, 93% of individuals involved in a car accident report neck pain 6 months after their initial injury.
Chest breathing
-
Did you know that the average human takes at least 23,000 breaths a day? When we excessively chest breathe throughout the day, overuse of what are called “accessory breathing muscles” in the neck can happen. This can lead to excessive tension and irritation building in the neck, ribs and upper back over time.
Stress
-
Stress, anxiety and low moral support can be co-contributors for neck pain, stiffness and achiness. The tension we hold in our neck from stress can build and lead to other complications such as the upper back pain or headaches.
Thankfully there are therapeutic solutions to these common causes of neck pain:
-
Chiropractic mobilization
-
Acupuncture
-
Manual therapy
-
Targeted strengthening exercises
-
Mindfulness