Win the battle AND the war: neck pain

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How many times have you woken up from a poor night of sleep to experience what most would refer to as a 'crick in the neck'? You likely place the blame on poor sleeping posture and go on about your business as if you have an imaginary neck brace on for a couple days or enlist an apathetic friend to lend their therapeutic touch until it eases up. What you don't know is that the poor night of sleep you experienced may not have been the source of the problem, but rather the straw that broke the camels back!

• What the heck is a 'crick in the neck'?
  
  There are different theories as what the sole cause of a stiff neck is. Some say it is the cause of a joint problem (facet joint), others swear that it is caused by a problem in the disc (shock absorber between the spinal bones).
  
  I will just give you my own theory and leave it there, make your own judgements as you will.
  
  Poor sleeping posture can cause strain on the neck muscles which can lead to a muscle spasm and the formation of trigger points which are points of high tension in a muscle formed by the continuous firing of a muscle without proper relaxation. Trigger points can sometimes cause tissue tension around the 'knot' and further lead to an accumulation of dead cells and swelling.



• Why does it happen?
  
  When the stress levels are through the roof and we are sitting at our desk or in the car in a traffic jam, our shoulders will inevitably begin to float upwards towards our ears. Do we realize it? Probably not. Is it painful at the time? Nope.
  
  The upper trapezius and levator scapulae muscles are the most active in high stress situations. This causes these muscles to become overbearing and overactive during activities which involve the arms.
  
  These muscles, along with a myriad of others serve the purpose to stabilize the shoulder blade and ensure proper force transmission from the trunk through to the arms during big movements like lifting, pushing or pulling. In order for the shoulder blade to perform its duties correctly, the surrounding muscles must be active and balanced.
  
  Think of the shoulder blade as a ring which has strings tied to all ends. Now gather all your friends to hold on to one string around this ring. For it to be perfectly centered, everyone has to be providing the same pull force, otherwise it will veer off to one end (the end where your friend is pulling too hard). The upper trapezius and levator scapulae are this friend, pulling way too hard from the top, causing the shoulder blade to be off kilter.
  
  With unbalanced musculature surround the shoulder blades, you will see a compensation and substitution from stronger muscles, all leading to injury.



• What to do about a 'crick'?
  
  
  
  1. ICE: note: application of heat in the first 24-48 hours may worsen symptoms due to an enhancement of the inflammatory process. Cool down the process with some ice or an ice massage which can easily be achieved with ice formed in a styrofoam cup. Apply ice massage for up to 7 minutes, ice packs for up to 20.
     
     
  2. GENTLE MASSAGE: Rub the area in a circular motion without pain. Take deep breaths into the top of the muscle to promote muscle release.
     
     
  3. AEROBIC EXERCISE: getting your heart rate up will heat up the tissues from the inside out, releasing some of the spasm and flushing out dead tissue.
     
     
  4. ONCE PAIN SUBSIDES: Scapular stabilization exercises & Lat Pulls

{If your symptoms include vomiting, severe headaches and/or any other accompanying pain or symptoms, you need to see your physician immediately.}

What do you do for neck pain? How often do you get this? Have you adjusted the way you sleep?