Neck pain or frequent tension?

There are many causes of neck pain. It often arises due to tension or cramping in the neck muscles, adhesions in the fascia tissue, incorrect lying or sitting positions, stress, or even a cold.

In car accidents or falls, they can also be a symptom and consequence of whiplash or vertebral fracture. Wear and tear processes such as osteoarthritis or disc damage (e.g., a herniated disc in the cervical spine) are relatively rare.

Common symptoms of neck tension:

• Headaches, migraines
• fatigue
• dizziness
• Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
• Nausea and vomiting
• visual disturbances
• fever

If you experience symptoms such as tingling, burning, or numbness, certain nerves may be irritated or damaged. In this case, it is advisable to see a doctor as soon as possible to rule out a potential herniated disc in the cervical spine. Various viral diseases can also cause neck stiffness.

However, the most common causes are incorrect lying positions, poor posture, and, above all, everyday stress.

What can you do?

The appropriate treatment for neck pain generally depends on the specific cause. Heat applications such as fango, red light, etc. can alleviate the symptoms, but gentle massages and loosening the fascia structures are often the most effective forms of relief.

Rebalancing fascial therapy is a gentle massage method for releasing fascial and muscular tension. Alongside reflexology, this is the method I use most frequently to provide relief for my clients.

Of course, painkillers or anti-inflammatory drugs are sometimes used as a quick fix, but this tends to treat the symptoms rather than the cause, especially in cases of tension caused by stress and incorrect posture. It always pays to work with your doctor and physical therapist to investigate the cause before the symptoms become chronic and more difficult to treat.

Important: If symptoms persist for longer than 3 months and remain untreated, they often develop into chronic conditions that require a great deal of effort, time, and patience to treat. So don't wait too long before taking initial steps such as arranging treatment.

Identify causes and make changes

• Are you lying correctly?
  –> Here, it is particularly important to check your pillow and possibly also your mattress.

Tips:

Many furniture stores and mattress shops offer advice and often allow you to try out their products.
When it comes to pillows, I recommend investing in a good orthopedic neck pillow. From personal experience and as a physical therapist, I swear by the CLASSIC and DELUXE orthopedic neck pillows from the Swiss company Witschi. I have been sleeping very well on this model for over 20 years. Of course, I am already on my third one, because pillows, like mattresses, should be replaced after a few years.

• Are you sitting correctly?
  –> An upright posture is essential. Adjust the height of your chair and desk so that your elbows are at a right angle on the desk when you are sitting upright. When working at a computer, the top of the screen should be at eyebrow height.

Tips:

Check your office chair and replace it with a more ergonomic model if necessary. It is best to seek advice from a specialist back care store. I have had very good experiences with the inflatable seat cushion from Sissel. It promotes a natural upright posture and keeps the spine moving, unlike static sitting. In general, however, it is advisable to switch from a static to a dynamic, mobile sitting posture several times during the day, to work standing up more often, and to take breaks to move around (e.g., with stretching exercises).

• What is weighing on you? What circumstances throw you off balance?
  –> Stress and tension are one of the most common causes of shoulder and neck problems. So it's not just posture that plays a role and causes the problem, but often also our own inner attitude and external circumstances that throw us off balance, make us tense and cause us to feel "stressed." Setting boundaries, saying no, asking others for help—these things cause discomfort and stress for many people, which can often lead to shoulder and neck tension. How about you—have you said NO without feeling guilty or asked someone for help today?

Tips:

Treat yourself to relaxation and a break for regeneration more often. Do something good for your body and soul.
This could be a walk in nature, sports, meditation, yoga, or even a soothing massage to restore your balance. If you also want to work on your "posture" a little, thenfascial therapy rebalancingmay be just the thing for you. In the case of recurring and stressful stimuli and the resulting similar behavior/response patterns, wingwave coachingcan provide support and relief.

 

I hope you found some valuable information and inspiration in this blog post.

I wish you a very relaxing time and positive changes.