Neck Pain

6. Carefully roll the head around in a wide circle in one direction, then reverse and roll the head around in the opposite direction.

Note: If you feel dizzy or sore from the exercises, you are probably doing them too fast or forcing them through pain.

Author Dr. McClelland Copyright American Chiropractic Association. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved

A recent talk on Neck Pain Complaints

with Joe, a male client at a physical therapy office:
Joe: The muscle strain in my leg is doing much better.
RT: You should be able to return to playing racquetball this weekend. But take it easy. Ease back into the game so we dont re-injure that muscle.
Joe: I cant wait to play again. Incidentally, do you have anything I could do for soreness in my neck?
RT: Yeah, I could show you a few stretches. Its easy stuff. Try them over the weekend. And if they dont help make an appointment with your doctor, get a prescription and well evaluate and treat your neck pain.
Joe: Hey, I can feel these stretches pulling on the sore areas. Ill try them over the weekend. How often?
RT: Try once or twice each day until your next visit on Monday. Say, you said you work at a computer all day, didnt you?
Joe: Yeah, as a programmer.
RT: How many hours per week?
Joe: About forty-five to fifty.
RT: Anyone else complaining about neck soreness where you work?
Joe: Yes, all of them.
RT: And how many people is that?
Joe: About sixty.
RT: My, my, my. Somebody needs to look into this.

I came to this conclusion after similar conversations with teachers, lawyers, administrative assistants and customer service representatives, just to name a few.

Happily, on Monday Joe reported that the soreness had gone, and that he was going to use these stretches as a preventative measure during his work day.

Looking into research on the matter

I found that between 15% and 30% of those working in an office had neck problems requiring medical treatment. My own inquiries revealed higher numbers of people battling with neck pain, soreness and stiffness from extended time at a computer.
 

I have seen active and sedentary people needing prevention. Even active individuals with proper muscle tone need to add appropriate stretching to their daily routine to quell their neck soreness.

A healthy routine should consist of at least 30 minutes of activity per day. This activity can be split up into 10 minute bouts at opportune times throughout the day. Add more on less busy days and as you are able. Stretches and movement activities can be performed proactively before prolonged activities at your desk or computer. They are also helpful during time spent at your computer, and after to reduce the after-effects of prolonged sitting. Neck shoulder pain, chronic neck pain, neck back pain, neck pain relief, neck pain. Author Rob Tworek, a Physical Therapist (Physiotherapist) providing prevention information to those individuals who work in an office setting, at a desk/computer.  http://www.officecoachplus.com

After teaching chair yoga for several years Liz Franklin can testify that it appropriate for almost anyone, even if they are feeling the effects of aging or have physical limitations.

It is not for hard-bodied 20-somethings that can twist themselves into poses that look impossible ? the only prerequisite is that you can sit in a chair, including a wheelchair.

What better way to illustrate how chair yoga has benefited those unable to attend a traditional yoga class than to tell it in their own words?

About 10-15 percent of the population suffers from neck pain and/or stiffness at any given time.

Neck pain can be caused by several factors like stress; accidents; compressed nerves; disease; and changes in the discs of the upper spine. Neck pain usually isn't life-threatening, it can cause a great deal of discomfort and dramatically impact life quality.

Neck pain also can lead to lost productivity at work. A survey found that approximately 20 million American workers suffer from non-work-related neck pain. The same survey found that nearly 70 percent of employers believe pain influences a worker's job performance, and 61 percent believe it negatively affects employee morale.

Among the most popular therapies for neck pain are manual therapy; physiotherapy and pain-relief medications. A new study in the April 26 issue of the British Medical Journal compared the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of these forms of care for neck pain, and found that manual therapy is "more effective and less costly for treating neck pain" than either physiotherapy or care provided by a general practitioner.

In the study, 183 adults were randomly selected to receive manual therapy for neck pain, physiotherapy (PT) or care from a general practitioner (GP) for six weeks. All of the patients suffered neck pain for a minimum of two weeks; 66 percent had received some form of treatment for the condition prior to enrolling in the study.

Manual neck pain therapy consisted of a variety of interventions, including hands-on techniques such as low-velocity spinal mobilization, a technique the authors noted is utilized frequently by doctors of chiropractic. Spinal manipulation was not provided, however. Treatment sessions lasted 45 minutes once per week, for a maximum of six sessions.

Physiotherapy for neck pain consisted of relaxation exercises, stretching and functional exercises, but the mobilization techniques offered in the manual therapy group were discouraged from use. PT treatments were offered twice a week (30 minutes per session) for a maximum of 12 sessions.

GP care for neck pain consisted mainly of a "wait and see" approach that included advice offered by a general practitioner, along with an educational booklet. Drugs were prescribed if necessary, but patients were encouraged to await "spontaneous recovery." Patients had the option of 10-minute follow-up visits with the doctor every two weeks.

Each method of neck pain treatment was adapted to the patient's condition. In addition to the treatment provided, patients were allowed to perform home exercises and to continue taking any drugs they were taking at the start of the study.

Outcomes of neck pain care were measured at the start of the study and at 3-, 7-, 13- and 52-week intervals. At 26 weeks' follow-up, patients received a mail-in questionnaire. Among the outcomes measured, patients rated their perceived recovery from neck pain; intensity of pain, functional disability and utility with questionnaires. The total costs of treatment also were tabulated in Euros (approx. $1.15 at press time).

Results

Manual therapy was considered "the most effective treatment" for neck pain in the study. After seven weeks, recovery rates in the manual-therapy group were 68 percent, compared to 51 percent and 36 percent in the PT and GP groups, respectively. Differences in recovery rates remained statistically significant at the 26-week mark, and were still superior for manual therapy at 52 weeks.

The use of drugs to help relieve neck pain also was lowest in the group receiving manual therapy. During the 52-week follow-up period, 64 percent of patients in the GP group took prescription drugs; only 37 percent of manual-therapy patients did the same. Similarly, 37 percent of patients treated with manual therapy took over-the-counter drugs, compared to almost 50 percent of patients in the PT and GP groups.

In addition, manual neck pain therapy patients reported less time lost at work due to neck pain. Patients in the manual-therapy group missed an average of 1.3 days (from paid work) and 5.4 hours (from unpaid work) because of neck pain in the year after being treated; patients under the care of a general practitioner missed an average of 10.4 days (from paid work) and 15.7 hours (from unpaid work).

While manual neck pain therapy succeeded in providing greater relief of neck pain in physical terms, the most striking differences between treatments were seen in the area of cost-effectiveness. Manual therapy was easily the least expensive form of care; on average, the total direct costs of treating neck pain with manual therapy for one year were 119 to 246 Euros ($137 - $283) less per patient compared to PT or GP care. When direct and indirect costs were factored together, the difference was even greater. The average total cost of treating a person with neck pain for one year using manual therapy