Pain in the Neck? 

Exploring common causes and solutions

Neck pain is common among adults, affecting us at some point in our lives, often leading to an impaired quality of life due to movement restriction, disability, decreased productivity, sick leave and may affect work. 

What is the best remedy when we wake up with neck muscle pull or catch?

This could happen due to multiple reasons, like wrong sleeping posture or faulty movement the previous day, leading to a spasm which is a long-term permanent contraction. 

In such cases, it would be best to allow the neck to rest without too much movement, especially in an attempt to release the muscle through jerks. 

Apply some warm compress using a hot towel or heat pad for 15 minutes, 5-6 times through the day.

Do not YouTube/Google quick fixes, not advisable.

We are often advised to use heat/cold packs for muscular pains or injuries. Please help us understand which should be used when and why?

Application of heat or cool temperatures depends on the purpose we are trying to achieve. Pointers in the table below will serve as a guide:

Many of us tend to use one side of the body more, based upon which is our dominant hand. How does this affect us in the long term and what can we do to counter this?

This is extremely pertinent to those having a desk job, single-hand dominant sports persons, chefs etc.. Consistent usage of one side more than the other does cause imbalances which shows up when we do activities which might require both sides equally, say swimming.

In order to counter this, one can practise an activity like yoga which emphasises balance and lengthening equally on both sides, before we can take up any activity which might otherwise lead to a possible injury. 

To conclude, having a fit neck gives us good posture and contributes to a healthy appearance, making us look taller and confident.

Column by 

              Varsha Sutrave

              sutrave.varsha@gmail.com