Nagging Neck Pain Do’s & Don’ts

Neck pain makes everyday things harder: reading, driving, working at a computer, even checking your phone. It can come from something as serious as a whiplash injury in a car accident, or from gradual wear and arthritis over the years. Acute or chronic, it can drag down your whole day.

Whatever is causing it, a few neck pain do’s and don’ts hold true for almost everyone. In this short video, our team walks through them, and the guide below covers each one.

Neck Pain Do’s

1. Keep a decent posture

You don’t need to be stuck in one position, but with neck pain you want to reduce the stress on your neck as often as possible so it has a chance to heal. When your head juts forward all day, pressure builds in the neck joints and the muscles around the neck tighten up.

Focus on keeping your head back and your shoulders down, back and relaxed as often as you can. It’s a simple first step to reducing stress on the neck. Learn the signs of poor posture.

2. Set up your technology

Computers and phones keep most of us looking down, which pulls you into that poor posture. It’s often called text neck.

• Laptop or computer: raise it to an ergonomic height so your head and chest stay upright.
• Phone: bring it up to eye level instead of bringing your head down to your hands.

3. Stay hydrated and manage stress

High-stress situations create a lot of tension in the neck. You tend to guard or shrug your shoulders, which increases muscle pain and joint tightness. Managing stress and staying well hydrated both help.

4. Sleep in a good position

For those six to eight hours of sleep, make sure your pillow is a good height, your head is supported, and your neck isn’t kinked in an awkward position. Stomach sleepers have to turn their head to one side to breathe, which isn’t a great position when you’re dealing with neck pain.

Neck Pain Don’ts

1. Don’t hold your neck still

The biggest don’t is keeping your neck still. Many people get nervous with neck pain and lock themselves in one position, turning their whole body instead of their head. That sets you up for failure, because the joints need movement to stay lubricated and the tissues need blood flow to heal.

Gentle, smooth movements in a pain-free range are good for your neck. Keep actively moving it.

2. Don’t carry heavy bags over one shoulder

A heavy purse, backpack or anything strapped over one shoulder puts uneven or excess load on your neck. Don’t one-strap your backpack and let it drag you to one side, and don’t carry something so heavy that you have to hike your shoulder up to hold it.

Instead, carry things down by your side, like a suitcase. It lets your shoulders and neck stay in a better position.

3. Don’t wait too long to get help

Many people with neck pain wait too long to seek help, whether from their primary care provider or a neck physical therapist who can find the cause. The longer you wait, the more chance the pain has to become chronic and linger, which makes healing harder.

When to Get Neck Pain Checked Right Away

• After an accident: neck pain after a car accident, fall or blow to the head
• Arm symptoms: numbness, tingling or weakness in the arms or hands
• Coordination changes: clumsy hands, trouble walking or balance problems
• Fever or severe headache: a stiff neck with fever, or a sudden severe headache

How Physical Therapy Helps Neck Pain

A Doctor of Physical Therapy can find what’s really driving your neck pain, which is often stiffness in the upper back or shoulders that forces the neck to overwork. With The Gray Method™, treatment combines hands-on care to free up stiff joints with exercises that build lasting strength. Read more in why neck pain keeps coming back and our guide to neck physical therapy in Fort Myers.

Get Moving Again Without Neck Pain

If something is bothering you, don’t wait for it to become chronic. Our neck pain treatment in Fort Myers finds the cause and gets you moving better, one-on-one with a Doctor of Physical Therapy at our clinics in Fort Myers, Cape Coral and Estero.

Start with our Fixing the Cause & Not Just the Symptoms Assessment, or Inquire About an Appointment →

Call our office at (239) 223-0484 to schedule your appointment.