Neck Pain: could it be your pillow?

29 Apr Neck Pain: could it be your pillow?

There are varied opinions about the reported incidence of neck pain in the population, but a leading research team in Melbourne (Hoy et al., 2010) have established an average prevalence of neck pain of 25%.  Higher rates of neck pain are reported by office workers, particularly people who work at computers; they also have a 66% chance of a recurrence episode of neck pain within the next 12 months (Hoy et al., 2010).

At Physio Fit Studio, when someone presents with neck pain we take an extensive medical and injury history to establish:

• which anatomical structure is the ‘pain generator’,
• what aggravates and/or alleviates your neck pain, and
• times during the day when your pain is better or worse.

This gives us a great basis to establish a provisional diagnosis – which we can consider as we move through additional muscle and joint testing.

Manual therapy to release tight structures and prescription of homework exercises are often very effective for those suffering with neck pain.  There is a risk of recurrence, however, if the aggravating activities have not been identified.

A Case Study:

Several months ago a female office worker presented to Physio Fit reporting persistent and recurrent episodes of neck pain over 10-12 years.  She had seen many therapists (chiro, massage, and acupuncture) and had attended exercise classes, with mixed outcomes.  She reported that her best outcomes were with therapists who provided manual therapy in addition to prescribed self-management exercises.

The client again achieved excellent results with our treatment however, as her pain and stiffness eased, a 24 hour pain pattern became increasingly apparent.  The neck stiffness and pain was worse on waking every morning compared to other times during the day.  

An assessment of her pillow revealed that it was the primary culprit: the pillow was too thin to provide support when side-lying.

We recommended a different pillow, and provided one of our fabulous contoured latex pillows for the client to try out for a week. She noticed an immediate improvement in her neck each morning, and decided to purchase one. It has now been 3 weeks since her last consultation and she has experienced minimal recurrence of the morning stiffness and pain.

This case study highlights how neck pain can be perpetuated by poor head position due to a less than optimal pillow.  

Neck pain can be caused by many factors other than those highlighted here. If you experience neck pain it is well worth a physiotherapy assessment to determine its cause and look for appropriate solutions.