Neck pain is common and affects 2 in 3 people at some time in their life.

So many of us are now staring down at our smartphones or tablets, it’s not surprising that nearly 20% of us have experienced neck pain within the past few months.

Have you ever woken up with a stiff neck?

Your muscles may feel tight and it may be painful to move your neck especially if you’ve been sitting or sleeping in one position for a long time.

You may notice that your neck won’t turn as far as it normally does, for example when you try to look over your shoulder while reversing the car, and there may be a pain when you try.

You may have tension headaches, where the pain can travel up to the back of your head and sometimes behind your eyes.

Triggers of neck pain include:

• bending for prolonged periods, such as looking at your phone or tablet.
• twisting.
• unsuitable posture while working e.g. turning to one side to use a computer.
• sitting in one position for prolonged periods.
• traumatic accidents e.g. whiplash.
• sports injuries such as crashing into another player, heading a ball badly.

Whiplash

Whiplash is commonly associated with car crashes, but may also happen on fairground rides or a sudden fall backwards or forwards. It causes a sudden abnormal movement through the neck which can tear or strain the tissues and misalign the vertebrae, and so produce neck pain.