So why do you think you woke up with neck pain?
I mean your neck can get stiff from time to time, but this pain in your neck that you woke up is ridiculous. You probably don’t remember even doing anything special that can explain why you have so much neck pain right?
I wrote an article about waking up with neck pain prior so just in case you missed it, here is the link for waking up with neck pain.
The most common form of neck pain is caused by overstretching of ligaments due to postural stresses
What kind of “postural stresses” are we talking about?
Do you sit for a long period of time?
In today’s day in age, being the technologically driven society we live in, it’s not uncommon to sit in front of a computer for hours and hours.
If you work in an “office” type environment, then you probably have in the very least a telephone, a computer, and a monitor. And, if you have the above, then you know you can get caught up in what you are doing for a couple of hours….easily.
Students know exactly what I’m talking about, from class room time, study time, and (especially leisure time).
Every play a video game before?
I know just how addicting and intricate each game can be. Hours upon hours upon hours of video gaming.
Think that all those hours may be the kind of “postural stresses” that can cause overstretching of ligaments?
(which I just mentioned was the most common form of neck pain)
Again, postural stresses that create overstretching of our ligaments are usually stresses that occur for hours and hours.
Do you ever “text”?
You know, text messaging with your hand held device.
Disagree that the posture you get into with your head looking down (and forward at your phone, throughout the day, sending text message after text message, WONT create overstrecthing of your ligaments?
Think again.
These hand-held devices wreck havoc on our posture.
What about the mere act of sleeping?
Do the positions you get yourself into when sleeping constitute a postural stress done for hours and hours, that can create overstretching of your ligaments, that will ultimately lead to neck pain?
Hmmm????
I get a lot of questions on what is the best position for sleeping? Laying on your back, front, side, which is best?
Before I get into answering that, think about the problem that causes the neck pain:”Overstretching of your ligaments”
Does laying on your stomach (or even your back and side for that matter), with a bunch of pillows propping your head and neck up, such that it is “tilted” to one side or another, backwards or forwards, fit the category of overstretching your ligaments…for hours upon hours?
Hopefully you are beginning to see that even though you don’t remember doing anything specific to “injure” your neck, with all these repeated stresses, that you do day in day out, may in fact be responsible for why you woke up with in pain and “couldn’t move your neck”.
So what can you do on your own to help eliminate your neck pain?
Let’s go back to the the problem of the overstretching of ligaments.
In this first picture, notice how the head protrudes forward. In this position, also known as Forward Head Posture (FHP).
With a forward head position, the ligaments of the neck have been stretched to the point where the head is no longer sitting ideally atop of the neck.
As the head continues to creep forward on the neck, undue strain across the muscles, ligaments, and joints, all pain sensitive structures. By pain sensitive structures, I mean that they are stimulated to alert the brain that there is neck pain.
In this second position, the FHP has occurred to the point where not only is the head sitting significantly ahead of the neck and shoulders, but there is rounding of the middle back too.
Many of my older female patients (especially the osteoporotic ones) express a great concern for developing the infamous “hump” or “dowagers hump”
Also known as a kyphosis, this curvature can result from pathologic wedge fractures that accompanies osteoporosis. However, kyphosis curvature are more commonly as a result of forward head posture that develops from all the postural stressors we mentioned earlier.
Correcting Forward Head Posture In Order To Eliminate Neck Pain
Again, the neck pain that you “suddenly” awake with (for no apparent reason…although hopefully by now, you know better then that) is as a result of overstretching of your ligaments.
So what do you think you need to do to fix an overstretched ligament?
If you notice carefully in this picture, forward head posture is reduced. The head is not so far forward as to create an “overstretching” of the ligaments.
As well, the rounded hump/kyphosis is also reduced. Both will result in reduced neck pain.
Notice, in the first of the three images the head is retracted, and brought back to a position as far “in” as it will go.
In the second image, the forward head position is achieved once again. This is an easier position to achieve then the first position, simply because, your head is already in a forward head position.
In the last picture, notice the head retraction is achieved by bringing the chin inwards towards the the spine. Applying a gentle force with your own hand can stimulate the ligaments that are overstretched, to “shorten”, or hold a new, more comfortable head position.
* Very important to note is the fact that your eyes should remain level through out the retraction and forward head positions. That is, your head does not tilt up or down.
Rather, your protrudes forward, then retracts backwards, while maintaining the eyes neutral. I always in struct my patients to focus on a spot on the wall ahead, and try to reach it with their chin going forward, and try to retract from that spot going backwards.
If you happen to wake up with neck pain, and are unable to move your neck, try this movement, even if you are moving ever so slightly.
I suggest 5 sets of 5 reps 5 times trough out the day.
Hope that helps with your neck pain.
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