Neck pain caused by tension etc

[franglais123]

I carry all my stress in jaw, neck and shoulders. I’m working on this but in the meantime what is the best way to get rid of chronic neck pain and generally feeling wrong/wonky around there. I have a special pillow which helps at night (without it it is so much worse) and I’ve had massages that have helped in the moment but not in the long run. Regular massages? Physio? Osteopath? Anything else that has helped you?

I highly recommend osteopathy. I have similar issues to you. I used to suffer terrible tension headaches until I started seeing an osteopath about 20 years ago. I also do yoga which seems to help.

Thanks @oldnormalplease - I used to do yoga regularly but stopped in favour of ‘harder’ strength work outs but I definitely need to start again. I’m not sure I even know what osteopathy is - will do my research.

Regularly tilt your head back (when sitting) and slowly 'rotate and roll' your head from side to side and back and forth. I've recently had what you've described, I think as a result of looking at tablet and phone screens, and it worked for me. Paracetamol when all else fails.

Lie across your bed, so your legs are straight out in front of you and your shoulders are level with the edge of the mattress and your head is hanging off the back of the bed. Stay like that for 30-60 seconds before “walking” your shoulders down the bed to bring your head back up. Don’t just lift it using your neck!

There are lots of somatic exercise guides online to release tension and stress from the body, this one works for me when my neck and shoulders are particularly tense.

Strongly, STRONGLY recommend Osteo too.

I went from debilitating tension headaches that were as bad as migraines and lasted for days, to rarely getting them and only if I have been being silly with my neck e.g. knocked my head or reading lying at an odd angle in bed. I've just been for a top up with my osteo, he's very gentle not clunk click.

Somebody on here posted a 10 minute yoga video for easing neck tension and I have it in my bookmarks on my computer. It gives me immediate relief if I'm suffering, so I'm highly recommend this to you too.

Thank you - going to try the neck rolling and mattress exercises! @Grimchmas do you mind trying the link again? It’s just an ad when I click on it. Thanks again everyone xx

I find Pilates and swimming have really helped me as they have strengthened the muscles around my shoulders. I have bad posture which I'm sure adds to it.

@Grimchmas working now, thanks x

I have regular massages for tension headaches. After one a month for a few months I find I hardly get headaches and I can rotate my head both ways without pain between my shoulder blades..for me it's all muscular so an oesto doesn't help me as much as sharp elbows do.

I had a physio use a TENS machine. It really helped.

Physio was brilliant for me. I do my exercises all the time.

You have to look at your whole life:
practice not hunching your shoulders
look at your position in the car
desk assessment if you work at a screen - as a minimum you prob need to change the screen height

And generally getting fitter - having properly balanced muscles helps.

I used to suffer horribly from this and on the last couple of years have largely eliminated it by doing yoga and weights.

When I was really suffering the only thing which helped was osteopathy but it always came back again.

An osteopath did show me some simple exercises - just things like raising your shoulders with weights in your hands which started me down the road of doing weights then I started doing as some quite dynamic yoga which took a while to pay off - really about a year!

Having the strength and flexibility in my upper body is really the key to stopping that chronic pain and now I'm amazed I suffered for so many years.

I'd certainly recommend you see an osteopath because a good one will look at your body and how you hold yourself and can give you some insight into what you are doing to yourself. At the same time being strong and flexible can only help you in the long term.

Retainer at night to stop you working / grinding your jaw.

Yeah sorry I had accidentally linked to the ad not the video, didn't even know that was possible 😅

@franglais123 what pillow did you get, please? I need to sort out my tension headaches from neck pain in the new year as I’m taking painkillers like smarties

@Iheartwhitetshirts this is the one I got which has definitely helped.
ON1S Contour Memory Foam Pillow |... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08NRN4MNT?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

@Iheartwhitetshirts I got a wool pillow from the Woolroom with a zip to take the stuffing out.

With help from DH we then spent a morning adding and subtracting stuffing until it was the right height for my neck to be straight when lying in bed.

Prior to that there had been endless pillows which got returned because as soon as I got them home they were too high or too low.