5 TIPS TO PREVENT AND CURE NECK PAIN

 

Technology and digital world have lead us to advantages and disadvantages on our health. Working from home can take its toll and its important to change position every 30-minutes or so. You might find that your shoulders , back or neck aches from hours sitting awkwardly?  So Here are some tips, Do and Don'ts and how can we combat the side effects of it and gain desired benefit in this new normal lifestyle.

Nowadays a new term "TECH NECK " is commonly heard,  as the name implies , it is used to describe pain in neck that results from overuse of technology. With screens becoming increasingly omnipresent in our everyday lives, we are all at risk of developing tech neck so here are few steps you can take to prevent it.

LISTEN AND DONT IGNORE WARNING SIGNS

Tech neck is a type of overuse injury , which means that it builds up slowly over time. For this reason , many of us don't notice it or fail to correctly identify the root of the pain. For these reasons , it is important to listen for warning signs. Despite the fact that only the neck is the name , pain associated with it can be experienced elsewhere.

 Pain and stiffness in the muscles and discs of the neck , shoulder and arm pain are commonly experienced as well as headaches. While all these are relatively vague symptoms , keeping an eye on your computer habits and the pain you experience will help you judge whether you are developing tech neck. If the pain persists , visit a Orthopedic and a physiotherapist, regardless of whether or not you think it may be tech neck.

REMEDIES TO RELIEVE PAIN

If your pain is 1-2 days old Use of Ice pack for 7-10 minutes thrice in a day in and around the area of pain and soreness ,  it will help to relieve the pain by reducing the muscle spasm and inflammation. And if your pain is a week old or more hot water fomentation or a warm water bath for 10-15 min twice in a day can soothe the pain. Avoid using electric heating belts as it provides dry heat which doesn't helps in easing the root cause. 

Restrict use of ointments and spray as they only act as counter irritant and should not be the preferred way of treating such pain.

Avoid doing any kind of massage , if you want to go for it , get it done by a certified therapist with in-depth knowledge of it

Use of supports like proper cervical pillow or cotton pillows should be done to gain more comfort  as they provide proper support to our spinal curvatures. Similarly use soft cervical collars can be done to avoid jerks and thrust to spine if you are in travelling job.

IDEAL SLEEPING POSTURE

INTERVALS AND TIME LIMITS

All activities can do damage to your body if you spend too long doing them or sustain them. Unfortunately , with so many different activities now demanding screens to complete, we don't tend to think of all the time we spend on them as a single activity. But regardless of what you are actually doing on your phone or computer , spending extended periods of time hunched over a screen will have detrimental effects.

Our necks are only equipped to deal with about 12lbs of pressure, but hunching can put them under as much as50lbs. This five fold increase will undoubtedly do damage , and this can be exacerbated by the angle at which we hold our heads. 

Setting a time limit to the amount of time you spend on technology can be of great help. Taking a short break and walking to fill up your own sipper or performing any free neck movements , stretches in the chair for neck and shoulder or any  activity  which would took you out of your chair will unload the stress on spine.

SOME STRETCHES TO FOLLOW IN BETWEEN THE WORK INTERVAL

SHOULDER SHRUGS

NECK MOVEMENTS

SHOULDER STRETCHES

CHIN TUCKS - FOR CORE MUSCLES OF SPINE AND CORRECTION OF HUNCH

While taking a break and  giving your neck a rest helps , its also important to make sure you are using your full mobility. Ensure your neck is moving is moving around a lot in as many different ways as possible, in a relatively short amount of time. research has shown that the 52/17 rule helps prevent physical pain such as this from developing. that rule states you should take a 1minute break for every 52 minutes of work.

MAINTAIN IDEAL POSTURE

Put your screens at proper level, the most effective way to prevent this is to make sure the screen is elevated enough. Ideally the screen should be directly in front of you at eye level, keeping your elbows supported on the desk can put the pressure off. It is equally important to use proper ergonomic chair and if its gonna add on your pockets make the most of what you have like pillows or towel rolls to gain desired posture.

ENSURE HYDRATION AND DIET

Above all you should ensure to have adequate hydration by drinking enough water  that would be maximum 7 glasses of water to maintain the elasticity of the muscles and disc of the spine. Intake of Calcium rich diet that would include milk, milk products, green leafy vegetables, raagi and all kind of small seed vegetables and fruits. Last but not least to help the body absorb calcium form diet exposure to early sunlight to get vitamin-D is most important.

BOTTOM LINE

Following all the guidelines mentioned above perfectly , you can maintain a good posture while working on computers and maintain a pain free life.