Pain in the neck: 5 solutions to no longer hurt

A neck painit can very quickly become disabling. It hurts when turning (or bowing) the head, it worsens in case of stress or fatigue, it disrupts concentration, it prevents sleep well ... In short, we hope to get rid quickly.

"In the majority of cases, neck pain has a mechanical origin, says Adrien Ezine, osteopath. When adopting a bad posture for a long time and / or repeated every day, the muscles of the neck (especially the trapezius muscles, scalene, sterno-costo-clavicular, splenius ... which are related to the upper back and the shoulder) are permanently contracted, resulting in pain. " In case of pain in the neck, the culprits, so these are our bad habits!

Pain in the neck: how does it appear?

The neck pain is therefore caused by a permanent muscular tension. "This is a pain that is often observed in people who work a lot on computers, computers, smartphone or the tablet (who have their heads leaning forward all day), but also among people who work outdoors (the house painters, for example, or plumbers, who often raise their heads) ", Adrien Ezine adds.

When the pain in the neck appears in the morning, the sleep position may be involved: "If you're in pain right after waking, it's probably your pillow that is not adapted to the position in which you sleep ", says the specialist.

Another possibility: night bruxism, which corresponds to a grinding of the teeth during the night. This phenomenon (which affects about 8% of adults in France) causes muscle tension ... which can promote the appearance of pain in the neck.

Warning : in the presence of other symptoms, neck pain can also be a sign of a pathology. "If you have a neck problem and difficulty swallowing, you may be suffering from a thyroid problem, if you have a neck pain and dizziness when you turn your head, it may be an arterial problem. And if you have neck pain at the end of the day with headaches, consider taking an ophthalmic checkup! "

In all cases, the osteopath advises to quickly make an appointment with a general practitioner in case of acute neck pain and not relieved by a change of posture.

My neck hurts: 5 solutions to relieve pain

• If you have a pain in your neck when you wake up and sleep on your stomach, consider doing this exercise of mobility of the neck each morning during 20 seconds: standing, the back straight, draw "8" very broad lying with your chin, then bend your head far away from where you slept.
• If you have a neck pain when you wake up and sleep on your side, choose a thin pillow, so that your neck is in line with the axis of your spine - do not hesitate to ask for advice in a bedding store!
• If you have a neck pain when you wake up and sleep on your back, choose a medium-thick pillow: you should not have a "double chin" when your head is resting on it. In addition, every morning, practice this stretch for 20 seconds: lean your head forward, put your hands on the back of your head and exert gentle pressure so that your chin touches your sternum.
• During the day, if you work on the computer (or the tablet, or the smartphone ...), pay attention to your posture: your whole body must be facing your screen, your eyes well in the axis of this- this. You must neither lean nor lift your head.
• At the end of the day, do not hesitate to do a massage of the neck with a hot ointment (to buy in pharmacy). If not, invest in a heated neck warmer (for example, cherry stone slings for microwaves).

One last tip? "If you have regular neck pain and mechanical pain (no other symptoms, relief when stretching), make an appointment with an osteopath." Do not let this pain linger 'cervical spondylosis. "

thanks to Adrien Ezine, osteopath in Bry-sur-Marne (94).

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