Neck pain or also referred to as Cervical pain is the pain in and around the region of the Cervical spine or the portion of the spine that is situated in the region of our neck. The pain can be devastating, interfering with the patient’s office works as well as causing disordered sleep and stress.

Is the neck pain always a postural problem?

It is true to say that in the majority of cases an abnormal posture is the major cause of stress and pain in the muscles around the region of our neck. It is usually found in people working on computers for long periods or nowadays also common in patients who are spending much of their screen time on mobile phones with an abnormal flexion/ extension posture of the neck.

However, there are can be numerous other causes to it ranging from cervical disc problems, muscular pains, cervical spine joint pains secondary to arthritis, etc. The exact cause has to be determined after proper consultation with a physician.

I am unable to cure my neck pain even after physiotherapy exercises/ postural correction methods. What to do next?

Physiotherapy exercises are to be started only after a proper cause of neck pain has been identified and treated with appropriate therapy. Physiotherapy can help to strengthen our neck muscles so that load of the head and neck is shared between the neck muscles and spine structures leading to a decreased stress on the neck portion of our spine.

Treatment options include the use of medications, isometric neck strengthening exercise, interventional pain management options include cervical epidural injections to reduce edema and inflammation in the regions around our spine and disc, trigger point injections inside the neck muscles in cases with neck pain secondary to muscular disorders.

Chances of recurrence of neck pain after initial interventional pain management options did?

To prevent a recurrence of the condition, the adoption of proper ergonomics at office desks, the use of adequate-sized neck pillows while sleeping, and isometric neck strengthening exercises have to be adopted. Best ergonomics include placing the computer screen at the level of our eyes so that while looking at the screen, our neck is neither flexed nor extended excessively, proper support to the upper limbs at least up to the level of the elbow to prevent the hanging of the elbow in the air and adequate back support while working are of utmost importance.