Neck

Sunderland Integrated Musculoskeletal Service (Sunderland IMS) is an NHS service that provide specialist and comprehensive assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal conditions to patients of Sunderland.

If you are suffering from neck pain, Sunderland IMS have provided simple neck information, advice and examples of exercises that may be useful to help with your recovery. Please see the neck pain information below to get started today.

Neck pain is common in people of all ages and can present acutely or be a more gradual chronic pain issue. It can be caused by normal age related “wear and tear” (also called “spondylosis” or “osteoarthritis”), as well as acute flares of pain which can be linked to your posture/occupation, whiplash or sleeping in an awkward position.  

Stress and anxiety are also common causes of increased tension in the neck and surrounding muscles, resulting in pain and stiffness.

Symptoms can usually be self- managed as will improve with time. The main aim should be to carry on with your normal daily activities, and take painkillers to relieve the symptoms as required. Pain management can be helped by combining the following suggestions:

• Use heat/cold packs on your neck – Using a hot water bottle or microwave pack can help reduce the pain and any muscle spasms, although some people find cold packs offer better relief. Try both to see which is most beneficial for you.
• Sleep on a low, firm pillow at night – pillows can sometimes irritate your neck pain, try a low firm pillow (see neck advice for butterfly neck pillow advice)
• Check your posture – poor or slumped posture can aggravate neck pain and tension, and may be a factor linked to causing it in the first place
• Avoid wearing a neck collar – there is no evidence to suggest wearing a neck collar will help to heal your neck, if anything it can delay improvement as it’s generally better to keep your neck mobile
• If you are unable to view traffic or check blind spots then you may need to avoid driving until you are able to do so.
• Try some neck exercises to improve and speed up recovery. Please see the exercises and advice on the side of this page for further details.

Pain may also be experienced which travels from the neck, down the arm(s) and into the fingers. Pins and needles or numbness in the hand or arm can be caused by neck problems. These symptoms may be due to irritation of a nerve in the neck. This form of pain often settles down on its own with time,  however it can be very painful and you may need to see your GP if symptoms are extremely painful as you may need some medication to help manage the symptoms.

On rare occasions the nerves in your neck may become compressed, causing a weakness in the arm, making it difficult for you to use your arm or hands for tasks such as holding a cup, unscrewing jars or fastening buttons on clothing etc. If you have such symptoms you should seek a medical assessment with your GP.