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Giving Your Body The Break It Deserves
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Originally published in Massage & Bodywork magazine, February/March 2000. Copyright 2003. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.
Neck Pain
A frequent complaint, neck pain can result from a variety of factors. It can be acute or chronic.
The most predominant cause of pain is damage to the soft tissue of the neck and can occur because of overuse, or injuries such as whiplash.
Pain can also be due to abnormalities such as birth defects, structural trauma (i.e. fractures), degenerative and inflammatory diseases, or prolonged wear and tear resulting in cervical disc degeneration or protrusion (herniated disc).
With various postural stresses, the disc degenerates as we grow older (typically age 40 and up), creating less space between the bones and more friction.
Less frequently, neck pain can be caused by tumors or infection. Emotional stress is also an important contributing factor.
Neck pain often causes, or is a major contributor to headaches, shoulder, arm and back pain. The longer a person has pain, the more effort is needed to correct it.
Aggravating Factors: Inactivity is one of several aggravating factors for neck pain. As soft tissue becomes more stiff and inflexible through lack of activity, the circulation to the area is decreased.
Dysfunctional biomechanics is another factor, with the prime contributor being the head-forward, rounded-shoulder posture. Fatigue directly affects our sense of well-being and is a contributor to pain.
We are less prone to continuing our supportive postural habits and more inclined to slouch and have contracted posture when we're tired. Further tightness in the soft tissues can be caused by emotional stress.
Stress can also worsen existing neck tension. Environment is something many of us forget when assessing pain.
Consider this -- a cool draft on the neck can cause stiffness and discomfort, just as allergies, fumes or odors from smoke, paint or some household cleaning products can irritate the respiratory system and eyes, thereby causing surrounding soft tissue to tense as a defensive mechanism.
Other elements, such as fibromyalgia and temporolmandibular dysfunction, can also be aggravating factors in neck pain.
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