As_pd_lft_0287 - Neck Pain - A4

Advice for patients with Neck Pain

Patient Information Leaflet

produced by the Physiotherapy Service

Specialist Services Unit

(Cambridgeshire)

Providing a lifetime of care

Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust: providing services across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Luton and Suffolk

This advice and exercise sheet has been produced by Senior

Physiotherapists working within Cambridgeshire Community

Services NHS Trust.

It offers simple advice and exercises to help you safely

manage your neck pain, often the right advice and exercises are all

that is needed.

This leaflet has been made available to your GP who may ask you to try the advice and exercises

prior to Physiotherapy.

Neck pain can occur at any age but is more common as you get older. You may wake with it or it may come on as a result of trauma such as a whiplash sustained in a road traffic accident. Sometimes it just comes on gradually for no apparent reason. You may have some or all of the following symptoms:- ♦ Pain in the neck which may radiate into the shoulder

area.

♦ Stiffness on turning

♦ Headaches You may have had a neck x-ray and been told you have cervical spondylosis. This is normal wear and tear changes that occur with age.

For pain relief It is important to take any medication prescribed by your GP on a regular basis.

Heating the muscles around the neck and shoulders can help the muscles to relax and so ease your pain.

Use a wheat pack heated in the microwave or a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel. Place the heat around your neck and shoulders for 10-15 minutes as often as you like during the day. Try to relax in sitting or lying whilst the heat is on. Avoid the use of hot packs if you are unable to detect the difference between hot and cold over the affected area.

NB. Never have the pack too hot as it is easy to sustain a burn.

Posture You can help reduce your neck pain by improving your posture and keeping the mobility in the joints. It is important to maintain a good posture at all times Sitting Sit on an upright supportive chair, rather than a soft sofa. Sit well back in the chair and place a rolled up towel in the small of your back. Make sure your shoulders are in line with your hips and that your chin is not poking forward. Sitting correctly reduces the strain on muscles and ligaments. Standing Pull in your lower tummy muscles and stand straight with your shoulders back and chin tucked in.

Sleeping Sleep on a supportive mattress, never sleep on your front, this strains the neck. Often people with neck pain find it beneficial to place a small sized towel rolled up lengthways inside the pillowcase. Eg. If you sleep on your side, try to make sure your head and neck are straight and in line with the rest of your spine. This may require 1 or 2 pillows depending on their thickness and firmness. It is better to keep the arm you are lying on in front of the chest.

Mobility and Postural Exercises It is important to exercise your neck in order to keep the joints mobile and the muscles flexible. Three to four times a day move your neck through it’s full pain free range forwards and back and turning your head to the left and right 5-10 times. Do not push into pain and stop if you feel dizzy. Sitting on an upright supportive stool with your back against the wall, place the back of your head on the wall. Slowly slide your head up the wall (nodding action) until you are looking straight ahead and hold this position for 5-10 seconds. Repeat this exercise 5 times.

Sitting in a good position, slowly and gently lift the tip of your shoulder about an inch and slide your shoulder blade down and back. This is a very gentle and small movement. Try and hold for 5 seconds and repeat 5 times.

At work At work it is important that you maintain as good a posture as possible. For example if you work at a desk you should sit with a support in your lower back and sit well under the work surface. Ensure the desk is at the correct height for you (approximately at elbow height). When using a computer, ensure your wrist and hands are in a relaxed position and that your hands are not bent upwards. Ensure your computer screen is at eye level so you are not looking down. Try to have an organized work station so that you are not having to over reach for things. When using the telephone, never hold it between your neck and shoulders as this will overstrain your neck. When writing, a slope helps stop your body from leaning forwards, keeping your head upright to reduce neck and shoulder strain. If you have to adopt an awkward position for any length of time, make sure that you straighten up out of that position, ensuring you bring your shoulders, head and hips in line regularly.

At home It is essential to maintain good posture at all times ie. Head over shoulders, shoulders in line with hips and chin level. When watching TV make sure the screen is straight ahead of you so you can hold your head in a neutral position. When ironing, ensure you keep your head level and that the ironing board is at the correct height for you (approximately elbow height). Ensure you keep your shoulders back and relaxed, do not hunch your shoulders. When reading or knitting, avoid bending your head for long periods. Rest your arms on pillows for support or sit at a table.

Driving When driving it is easy to be tense and sit with shoulders hunched and chin poking forwards. Try to relax and position your seat quite upright so you can from time to time practice tucking in your chin to place the back of your head against the headrest. Whiplash All the advice on this leaflet is suitable for patients who have sustained a whiplash injury. If you have been given a collar, try to wear it for only 2-3 days and take it off regularly (4-5 times a day) to do the mobility and postural exercises described earlier. Take your medication as prescribed not just when the neck is painful. Anti-inflammatory medications such as Ibuprofen can be particularly helpful in whiplash. An ice pack may be more beneficial than a hot pack in the first 48 hours after injury. Gel packs are also available now which can be used in exactly the same way as peas.

NB. If you feel the exercises are making your pain worse

STOP DOING THEM AND SEEK ADVICE

© Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust Tel: 01480 355184 / 308216 Email: [email protected] Website: www.cambscommunityservices.nhs.uk Code: AS/PD/LFT/0287 - V1.4 (Oct 2012) Date of Production: November 2010 Date of Review: November 2013

For further information about this service contact: For Huntingdon and Cambridge City and South areas If you are unsure about any of the advice in this leaflet or if you require further advice from a Chartered Physiotherapist, please contact your local self referral service on: For East Cambs and Fenland area Self referral is not currently available, please contact your local Physiotherapy Department if you are unsure about any of the advice: Physiotherapy Department, Princess of Wales Hospital, Lynn Road, Ely, Cambs, CB6 1DN - Tel: 01353 652046 Physiotherapy Department, Doddington Hospital, Benwick Road, Doddington, Cambs, PE15 0UG - Tel: 01354 644213 Physiotherapy Department, North Cambs Hospital, The Park, Wisbech, Cambs, PE13 3AB - Tel: 01945 488062 For Peterborough area Self referral is not currently available, please contact your local MSK Physiotherapy Department if you are unsure about any of the advice: City Health Clinic, Wellington Street, Peterborough, PE1 5DU - Tel: 01733 466671

Huntingdon - 8.15am - 12.15pm

01480 434980

Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire - 1pm - 5pm

01223 446999

If you have any concerns about this service or suggestions for improvements, contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service on Freephone 0800 013 2511 or email: [email protected] For free, confidential health advice and information 24 hours a day, 365 days a year contact NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 or via www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk

If you need this information in a different format such as in large print or on audio tape, or in a different language please contact Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust Communications Team on 01480 308216 or via email at: [email protected] Polish: JeŜeli potrzebujesz tych informacji w innym formacie, jak na przykład w duŜej czcionce, w formacie audio lub w innym języku, prosimy o kontakt z Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust (Publiczny Zespół Opieki Zdrowotnej i Środowiskowej) pod numerem telefonu: 01480 308216 lub email na adres: [email protected] Portuguese: Se precisar desta informação em formato diferente, tal como impressão em letra grande, cassete áudio ou noutra língua, por favor contacte o Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust (Trust NHS dos Serviços Comunitários de Cambridgeshire), através do telefone 01480 308216, ou envie um e-mail para: [email protected] Russian: Если данная информация требуется в другом формате, например крупным шрифтом, аудиозаписи или на другом языке – просим обращаться в Социальные Службы Общественного Фонда Здравоохранения Графства Кембриджшир, по телефону 01480 308216 или отправлять электронное сообщение no адресу [email protected]

Cantonese: 本資料亦以特大字體、錄音形式或其它語文提供，如有需要，請聯絡劍橋郡社區服務國家健康信託（Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust），電話01480 308216；電郵地址[email protected]

Bengali

Turkish: Eğer bu bilgininin kendi dilinizde çevirisini (ya da daha büyük harflerle baskısını veya kasete kayıtlı halini) isterseniz, lütfen Cambridge Bölgesi Kamu Hizmetleri Ulusal Sağlık Hizmeti Birimini (Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust) 01480 308216 no’lu telefon numarasından arayın veya [email protected] adresine e-mail gönderin.

As_pd_lft_0287 - Neck Pain - A4

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