Neck and Shoulder Pain

If you work at a desk, you are more likely to suffer from pain in the neck and across the shoulders. This is because deskwork encourages your upper back to become rounded and your head to jut forward on your neck. More muscular effort is needed to hold your head in this position, so the muscles in your neck, shoulders and upper back become tired and painful. Long periods spent sitting in the same position can also lead to stiffness in the spinal joints in your neck.

Stress and tension are commonly expressed through the muscles in the neck. We all know what is meant by "a pain in the neck"! But this may be more real than we think. So a stressful desk job almost inevitably leads to stiffness and pain in the neck. In more serious cases, problems in the neck can lead to nerve compression, which produces pain, pins and needles and even weakness in the arms. Neck pain is generally worse amongst those who have stiffness in their upper back as the neck is more mobile and so tends to compensate for immobility further down.

Tension in the neck is also responsible for the majority of headaches. The nerves which supply the scalp emerge through muscles at the top of the neck and when these muscles are tight, they compress the nerves which leads to pain which we feel as coming from the head.

In older people (and even some younger folk), pain and stiffness in the neck may be due to osteoarthritis. Although it is not possible to cure arthritis, it is possible to improve mobility and to reduce pain.

Osteopathy is the ideal treatment for all these problems. Tight muscles can be stretched and kneaded and stiff joints can be mobilised by gentle rhythmical movements of the neck and shoulders. Mobilising the spine further down your back can also improve the condition of your neck. The osteopath will offer advice on posture and stretches to ease the tension in tight muscles. At the end of an osteopathic treatment, you will feel a sense of lightness and freedom around the neck and shoulder area.