Back Pain Relief for Gamers and Office Workers

“It’s a pain in the neck.” That’s a saying that’s been around for awhile. It’s an idiom that means that something is annoying and bothersome. But, when you do have cervical pain, it is more than just annoying. Neck pain can be debilitating.

The neck has some amazing jobs to do. There are very delicate structures in the neck that make it vulnerable to wear and tear. It supports the head, which typically weights about 10 or 11 pounds (the same weight as a large bowling ball, or two 5 pound bags of sugar). The neck has facet joints–a fancy series of pivot joints made of delicate bones (the vertebrae). There are about 2 dozen vertebrae in the neck and they are the smallest vertebrae in the body.

The neck houses some of the most vital organs of the nervous system—the spinal cord and the nerves that connect to organs, skin and muscles of the head and neck. The neck houses the structures that allow for speech and song, swallowing food, and breathing. The neck is a wonder! But cervical pain is not.

Chronic cervical pain lasts longer than 3 months. There are several factors that can contribute to chronic neck pain:

Poor postural habits
Emotional stress
Pinched nerves
Arthritis

Always have a doctor examine you for neck pain. That way, it can be determined if the pain is from a pinched nerve, or arthritis, or something else.

Emotional Stress Causes Cervical Pain
Emotional stress is the leading cause of neck tension. Most of us hold our emotional stress in our neck and shoulders. It’s important to learn to identify when you are stressed and holding the tension there. Then perform the following tension reduction exercise (which is also effective to relieve a tension headache.)

Relaxation Exercise

Do deep, slow breathing for 60 seconds, taking 5 to 10 seconds to inhale, 5 to 10 seconds to hold, and 5 to 10 seconds to exhale. With each inhale, visualize relaxation going to the area of tension, and with each exhale, the tension leaving.

The following stretches are not only helpful for relieving pinched nerve pain and arthritic pain, but also for emotional tension in the neck.

Pinched Nerve of the Neck
What if your doctor determines your cervical pain is from a pinched nerve of the neck? There are some stretching exercise that will help. (Clear these first with your doctor.).

Cervical Flexion and Extension Stretch

While sitting erect, pull your chin to your chest head and gently look down. You’re your shoulders back. Hold the stretch for 3-5 seconds. Gently return your head to starting position. Then, bend the head back gently, stretching as far as it will go. Look up. Hold for 3-5 seconds. Repeat entire exercise set 3 to 5 times.

Arthritis
What if your doctor determines your cervical pain is from arthritis in the neck joints? There are stretching exercises that will help this as well. Arthritis responds well to stretching because stretching reduces tension and warms up muscles and tendons. Nurse practitioner, Barbara Resnick, PhD, states in an article in Health Day that stretching is recommended by the American Arthritis Foundation. Resnick advises however that arthritis sufferers should give joints a rest during bad flare ups. Stretching could further inflame the joints on those days. (Be sure to also clear this exercise with your doctor first.)

Neck Rolls (for arthritis or pinched nerve)

Round shoulders and gently and slowly rotate head from front-side-back-side once or twice. Switch directions and rotate head gently to the other side. Repeat 3 to 5 times.

Cervical Rotation

When doing this exercise, do not bring up your shoulders. Stand erect. Turn your head to the right as far as you can, trying to bring your chin over your right shoulder. Look behind you, and hold the stretch for 3 to 5 seconds. Next, do this to the left side. Repeat 3 to 5 times.

These are just a few of our favorite stretches. Other neck stretches are helpful, too. Any stretches should be slow, gentle and fluid—no bouncing. Neck stretches should be done every day, and most should be done several times a day. Neck stretches preserve or expand the range of motion in the cervical joints and can relieve stiffness and pain.

If you have pain or discomfort in the tailbone or lumbar area, check out our many products that could bring you relief.

Please note, RelaxoBak does not treat, mitigate or diagnose any form of disease or back injury. Information presented in this article is not to be construed as medical advice.

You must receive diagnosis and treatment from a medical professional. However, the article is meant to complement what your doctor has advised.

Image credit: Simon James from Darlington, UK (Day 80 – A Pain in the NeckUploaded by CFCF) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons