By Cathy Hamilton
March 15, 2010
Laptops can be a pain in the neck. Not because they crash unexpectedly, take too long to play YouTube videos or wear the battery down in two hours. We’re talking a literal pain in the neck.
Neck pain is an all-too common side effect of our modern, sedentary lives and an occupational hazard for people who sit in the same position from 8 to 5. Conditions like “computer neck,” “couch neck” and “reader’s neck” are seen more frequently in doctor, chiropractor and physical therapy clinics than ever before.
“We see a ton of neck problems,” says Mark Cairns, athletic trainer at Neu Physical Therapy, who adds that a person’s curvature of the spine can actually change over time from bad posture.
“We call it a forward head position, and people get it from working at a computer or driving all day. You get this forward head posture and you can actually straighten out your neck, which isn’t good. We want a little curvature in the neck for shock absorption.”
Forward head position is a common cause of neck, head and shoulder pain and can also be the result of injuries like sprains. If left untreated, it can lead to muscle strain, disc herniation, arthritis and pinched nerves.
“Certain exercises and manual therapies can help and the patient can do home programs. We can also change the way they work with an ergonomic evaluation,” Cairns says.
Sitting in the correct position in your work environment is key, starting with the height of your chair and armrests.
“Your arms need to be relaxed. You don’t want them hunched up over the keyboard or steering wheel. You also don’t want to be sitting there for eight hours. You need to get up and move at least every two hours to take relief off your neck and head,” Cairns says.
Car accidents are another common cause of neck pain.
“Whiplash can happen, even if it’s a really slow crash of around 20 mph. It’s serious, and it can take quite awhile to heal,” Cairns says.
Don Holland, 56, of Lawrence, survived an almost-fatal wreck four years ago and is still receiving treatment for his neck.
“When the accident was over, I was pinned underneath the fuel tank of a semi, so my neck seemed like the least of the story,” Holland says. “But, three or four days later, things started going wrong.”
Holland has found relief in chiropractic procedures, exercise and special neck pillows.
“I got the greatest relief from stretches and something called the dog bone pillow. It’s a pre-formed pillow with two rounded edges so it contours to your neck. It looks like a gigantic dog bone, and it holds your neck in a chair,” he says. “It’s very relieving.”
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. William A. Bailey says, with whiplash and similar injuries, the right medications can help the recovery process along.
“If somebody has that kind of neck pain, I’ll start them on a muscle relaxant and an anti-inflammatory,” Bailey says. “I usually recommend applying ice or cold for the first day or two, then go with the heat. Then, the physical therapists can step in and really help.”
Sometimes, people will wake up in the morning with a stiff neck for no apparent reason. Chiropractor Mark Howarter of The Chiropractic Experience Wellness Center says the culprit is often the common bed pillow.
“There’s a difference between cushion and support, like with shoes,” Howarter notes. “If you sleep on your side, your pillow should be no thicker than the distance between the top edge of your shoulder and your ear.
“If you’re sleeping on your back, you don’t want to use too many pillows and over-support yourself,” he says. “I don’t recommend sleeping on your stomach because you have to turn your head one way or the other to breathe, and your muscles can get overstretched.”
Originally published at LJWorld.com
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