Have you ever had pain that seems to spread from your neck into your shoulder or vice versa? It’s normal for neck and shoulder pain to occur at the same time because they share many muscles and soft tissue. Also, the nerves running through them can be subject to irritation that spreads pain along the entire region of your neck and shoulders. 

Occasional mild neck and shoulder pain is usually nothing to worry about. However, chronic neck and shoulder pain is a sign that there is something you need to address.

Here are some tips you can try to help keep chronic neck and shoulder pain out of your life.

1. Improve your posture

Poor posture is one of the primary culprits behind chronic neck and shoulder pain. Sitting with your head forward and your shoulders hunched exerts a large amount of strain on your neck and shoulders. This leads to tension in the muscles, which leads to your spine taking on more of the responsibility of supporting your head. This extra work on the spine can irritate the nerves running through it, which causes pain.

Practice sitting with your back and neck straight. Keep your chin up and your shoulders squared to help reduce and prevent pain.

2. Sleep better

Poor sleeping posture is another culprit behind neck and shoulder pain. If you have an uncomfortable mattress or a pillow that fails to provide the right kind of support, you will wake up most mornings with neck and shoulder pain. 

Make sure you have a pillow and mattress that keep your spine in alignment, and avoid sleeping in awkward positions, such as on your stomach.

3. Get active

Some gentle stretches and exercises can keep your muscles engaged. This helps improve your strength and flexibility, which helps reduce your muscles’ vulnerability to stiffness and weakness that lead to chronic neck and shoulder pain.

4. Visit a physical therapist

If your neck and shoulder pain persists or is more intense than you can handle, you need to visit a physical therapist for treatment. 

Physical therapists are licensed health care professionals who are more than capable of examining your condition, forming a diagnosis and guiding you through a personalized treatment to help you reduce and prevent pain.

Visit Rehab Access for chronic neck and shoulder pain treatment

Are you tired of having neck and shoulder pain every day? Our team at Rehab Access is here to help. We can examine your neck and shoulders to identify the cause of your pain and guide you through a treatment routine that includes:

• Gentle stretches and exercises
• Soft tissue mobilization
• Joint mobilization
• Posture guidance
• Patient education and more

Contact our team today for more information about chronic neck and shoulder pain or to schedule an initial appointment.