The last thing anyone wants to deal with is a pain in the neck. Yet for many people a pain in the neck is a constant companion. There are several causes of neck pain and most arise from posture or maintaining an unnatural position of the head and neck without any support. It can occur quickly as in a whiplash car accident. Or over a period of time as when you are absorbed in a good book and keep the head bent forward, when you sleep on your stomach with your head turned to one side at night, or when you hold the phone between your ear and your shoulder. Whatever the cause, neck pain lowers the quality of your work and leisure time. There is a solution. Chiropractic can help you regain that quality of life by decreasing your pain and restoring the function of your neck, while also educating you on prevention.
Neck Pain at the Office
Neck pain is perhaps the single most common problem we see affecting office workers. It can be caused by several factors inherent in the modern office, including;
- Position & height of the computer monitor
- Keyboard height
- The position of information being transposed onto the computer in relation to the monitor
- The firmness of the chair back & its relation to posture
- Holding the phone with your shoulder
The most common postural problem seen is what is known as a head-forward posture. This occurs when the head is held in a position in which the chin is poked forward and the lower part of the neck and upper mid-back are held in a forward bent position. This results in:
- Tightness and shortening of the muscles at the base of the skull, which usually leads to headaches,
- Stretching of the ligaments of the middle part of the neck resulting in excessive movement in spinal joints, leading to pain and eventually to pressure on the nerves in the neck,stiffness within the lower neck and upper back, leading to stretching and weakness in the neck muscles and pain in the lower neck and shoulders.
