The most common neck complaint is generalised tension in the neck and associated shoulder and upper back discomfort, which may or may not be associated with tension headaches. This tension can be intermittent, coming and going over a matter of days/weeks, or it can become chronic/persistent, occurring for months.
The main cause of this complaint is sitting for long periods; the more tense your postural muscles are, the shorter the tolerance for these muscles to maintain/hold static postures, i.e., it takes less time for these muscles to fatigue and cause pain and discomfort. The increased muscle tension inhibits blood flow to the area, leading to lactic acid accumulating, which is why you feel tense and uncomfortable in your muscles. Many people assume it’s “poor posture” that causes this pain, but it’s usually static or holding the same posture for too long; “good” or “bad” posture is not a major factor in itself. You want to concentrate on changing postures and getting more movement throughout the day, as this allows for certain postural muscles to “switch off” while other muscles “switch on.” As you change postures and move, this also helps blood flow to the muscles and decreases lactic acid build-up.
Two-sided neck pain and discomfort is predominantly a muscle problem, unlike one-sided neck pain, which involves more localised structures of the spine. Getting plenty of deep tissue massage, pressure point work and slow myofascial release of the muscles of the upper back, neck, and shoulders, and chiropractic adjustments of the upper back and neck is usually the best approach, as well as getting more movement throughout the day and managing your stress levels while being mindful not to hold your emotional stress as physical tension in your muscles.
