The neck is a very mobile part of your spine and it is easily damaged. Injury and postural problems are the most common causes of neck pain. Diseases such as arthritis or degeneration of the discs can also cause pain.
Neck injuries most often result from motor vehicle accidents, sports or occupational accidents. Damage may occur to the bones, joints, nerves, discs, ligaments and muscles. A common neck injury is the acceleration/deceleration injury or 'whiplash' where the head is thrown forward or backward.
- Think tall: chest lifted, shoulders relaxed, chin tucked in and head level. Your neck should feel strong, straight and relaxed.
- A good pillow is best for most people. Avoid sleeping on your stomach. Your physiotherapist will assess and advise you.
- Recognise when you are tense. You may be hunching your shoulders or clenching your teeth without realising it.
- Avoid working with your head down or to one side for long periods. Frequently stretch and change position. Your physiotherapist will show you how.
- Keep your neck joints and muscles flexible and strong with the correct neck exercises. Your physiotherapist will assess for tight or weak muscles and show you specific exercises to treat your situation.
Whiplash is defined as neck pain, usually as the result of a car accident, although it is possible for some sporting injuries to result in whiplash. Whiplash is quite common, even in people wearing seatbelts, and very difficult to diagnose and treat.
Physiotherapy research in the 1980s showed clearly that damage to the neck does occur in an accident. Some statistics estimate that around a third of road accidents result in a whiplash injury. Tens of thousands of Australians experience it each year at great personal cost and cost to the community.
Common symptoms are stiffness or soreness in the upper back, headache, and pain in the neck. These symptoms may not appear until several days after the accident, but the good news is that for most people they clear in a few days or weeks.
It was once the case that most people who had suffered whiplash were advised to rest and wear a soft collar to support and protect the neck and to keep it immobile. These days the thinking is that recovery will occur earlier and more completely if people keep moving and continue to exercise sensibly. As with many conditions, early mobilisation is the key.
There is no single treatment for whiplash, because there is no single injury. Depending on the circumstances heat, ice, massage, exercises, traction, or electrotherapy may be helpful. Your physiotherapist can offer some treatments that will assist recovery.
A team of Queensland physiotherapists have done extensive research into whiplash for a number of years, and have produced a self-help booklet that explains whiplash and provides an exercise program that has been proven to assist in reducing neck pain. Their advice is that people can help their own recovery, but they should consult their physiotherapist before starting the exercise program. The Whiplash Injury Recovery - a Self-Management Guide booklet is available for free download from the Queensland Government Motor Accident Insurance Commission website.
Your physiotherapist will help you decide which exercises are right for you and give you some tips about how to recover safely from whiplash. So, if you are unfortunate and have an accident that results in whiplash, you will be in safe hands when you consult us.