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Neck Pain, Exercises And Muscles
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Published: February 2, 2007
Everyone's experienced it, late at night or early in the morning it doesn't discriminate. It's neck pain. With a small majority of the population suffering from neck pain, many people are researching the origins and ways to alleviate it.
The cause of neck pain can be triggered by many different circumstances. According to Dr. Henrik Wulf Christiansen and Jan Hartvigsen, chiropractors from netdoctor.co.uk, neck pain can be caused by injury, muscle problems, or arthritis of the neck. Injury can include a car accident, diving accidents, or contact sports like football and hockey. After the injury, neck pain may occur as a result of hypertension, which is when the neck is pushed forward or backward beyond its normal means. In these cases, the soft tissue is damaged, resulting in a sore or stiff neck. A more severe injury can end in a fracture of dislocation of the neck, or even more serious- paralysis.
While injuries are a common cause of neck pain, millions of people are diagnosed with different forms of arthritis each year. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, there are two kinds of arthritis that affect the neck. They are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The former is found in older people and is a result of the wear and tear of neck joints. The latter can be found in both young and old people and also causes destruction of the neck joints when the immune system attacks.
Injuries and arthritis are traceable. Unfortunately, muscle problems usually are not. Although allusive, muscle problems can stem from a range of different causes, most of which have already been mentioned. Other causes include sleeping awkwardly on the neck and stress.
There are numerous neck muscles that are associated with such pains. By knowing which muscles do what, treating neck ailments will be easier. The longus calli and infra hyoid muscles allow movement up and down. The trapezius and splenius capitis allow movement forward and backward. Lastly, the sternocleidomastoid and levator scapula allow movement in a circular motion. A diagram of these muscles and a detailed description of what they do can be found online at Realbodywork.com.
Most, if not all of these causes can be fixed using different forms of treatment. There are several neck exercises that can alleviate neck pain. One exercise is called the neck flexicon, and can be preformed by simply pushing the head down until the chin touches chest. This exercise should be repeated 5 times slowly. Another exercise, the neck extension, involves pushing the head backward until the eyes are looking directly up. Other neck exercises include: rotation, side flexions, and retraction. All of these neck exercises can be found online at Thephysiotherapysite.co.uk. Other websites that feature neck exercises include: Massage-tools.com and Stretchnow.com.au. Although these exercises can be helpful, if dizziness occurs at any point during the exercise, discontinue and rest.
Some neck pain can be fixed through exercises or just leaving it alone, while others need more serious treatment. If exercise isn't working, more serious intervention may be needed. Only a certified doctor can diagnose more serious neck conditions like whiplash, arthritis, or slipped discs. Once diagnosed, medication may be prescribed for a short amount of time. Other treatments for neck pain involves specialized massagers or massages. Hand held massagers can be bought at chain stores like Target and Walmart or online at Massage-tools.com. They can be purchased from $9- $230.
Steps can be taken to prevent neck pain. Some suggestions are: use proper posture, be aware of sleep positions, and wear a seatbelt at all times. Furthermore, daily or weekly neck exercises can help prevent future pain.
Neck pain can be serious or trivial with treatments ranging from out patient therapy to hand held massagers. Whatever the case may be, the knowledge of what each muscle does will ultimately assist in a faster recovery. Knowing how neck pain is caused and learning to prevent it will go a long way towards reducing pains.
Sources:
Neck Pain. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. 2000. 30 Jan 2007 <http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/brochure/thr_report. cfm?Thread_ID=11&topcategory=Neck>.
Christensen, Dr. Henrik Wulf, and Hartvigsen, Jan. “Neck Pain.” Netdoctor.co.uk.7 June 2005. 30 Jan 2007 <http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/neck pains.htm>.
Hand Held Massagers. Massage-Tools.com. 2002-2007. 30 Jan 2007 <http://massage-tools.com./hand-held-massagers. html>.
Neck Muscles. Real Bodywork. 2006. 30 Jan 2007 <http://www.realbodywork.com/learn/neck/neck.ht m>.
The cause of neck pain can be triggered by many different circumstances. According to Dr. Henrik Wulf Christiansen and Jan Hartvigsen, chiropractors from netdoctor.co.uk, neck pain can be caused by injury, muscle problems, or arthritis of the neck. Injury can include a car accident, diving accidents, or contact sports like football and hockey. After the injury, neck pain may occur as a result of hypertension, which is when the neck is pushed forward or backward beyond its normal means. In these cases, the soft tissue is damaged, resulting in a sore or stiff neck. A more severe injury can end in a fracture of dislocation of the neck, or even more serious- paralysis.
While injuries are a common cause of neck pain, millions of people are diagnosed with different forms of arthritis each year. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, there are two kinds of arthritis that affect the neck. They are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The former is found in older people and is a result of the wear and tear of neck joints. The latter can be found in both young and old people and also causes destruction of the neck joints when the immune system attacks.
Injuries and arthritis are traceable. Unfortunately, muscle problems usually are not. Although allusive, muscle problems can stem from a range of different causes, most of which have already been mentioned. Other causes include sleeping awkwardly on the neck and stress.
There are numerous neck muscles that are associated with such pains. By knowing which muscles do what, treating neck ailments will be easier. The longus calli and infra hyoid muscles allow movement up and down. The trapezius and splenius capitis allow movement forward and backward. Lastly, the sternocleidomastoid and levator scapula allow movement in a circular motion. A diagram of these muscles and a detailed description of what they do can be found online at Realbodywork.com.
Most, if not all of these causes can be fixed using different forms of treatment. There are several neck exercises that can alleviate neck pain. One exercise is called the neck flexicon, and can be preformed by simply pushing the head down until the chin touches chest. This exercise should be repeated 5 times slowly. Another exercise, the neck extension, involves pushing the head backward until the eyes are looking directly up. Other neck exercises include: rotation, side flexions, and retraction. All of these neck exercises can be found online at Thephysiotherapysite.co.uk. Other websites that feature neck exercises include: Massage-tools.com and Stretchnow.com.au. Although these exercises can be helpful, if dizziness occurs at any point during the exercise, discontinue and rest.
Some neck pain can be fixed through exercises or just leaving it alone, while others need more serious treatment. If exercise isn't working, more serious intervention may be needed. Only a certified doctor can diagnose more serious neck conditions like whiplash, arthritis, or slipped discs. Once diagnosed, medication may be prescribed for a short amount of time. Other treatments for neck pain involves specialized massagers or massages. Hand held massagers can be bought at chain stores like Target and Walmart or online at Massage-tools.com. They can be purchased from $9- $230.
Steps can be taken to prevent neck pain. Some suggestions are: use proper posture, be aware of sleep positions, and wear a seatbelt at all times. Furthermore, daily or weekly neck exercises can help prevent future pain.
Neck pain can be serious or trivial with treatments ranging from out patient therapy to hand held massagers. Whatever the case may be, the knowledge of what each muscle does will ultimately assist in a faster recovery. Knowing how neck pain is caused and learning to prevent it will go a long way towards reducing pains.
Sources:
Neck Pain. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. 2000. 30 Jan 2007 <http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/brochure/thr_report. cfm?Thread_ID=11&topcategory=Neck>.
Christensen, Dr. Henrik Wulf, and Hartvigsen, Jan. “Neck Pain.” Netdoctor.co.uk.7 June 2005. 30 Jan 2007 <http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/neck pains.htm>.
Hand Held Massagers. Massage-Tools.com. 2002-2007. 30 Jan 2007 <http://massage-tools.com./hand-held-massagers. html>.
Neck Muscles. Real Bodywork. 2006. 30 Jan 2007 <http://www.realbodywork.com/learn/neck/neck.ht m>.
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