Top tips for head and neck pain

How many times have you woken up with a stiff neck, or noticed that tension in your jaw grow to become a full on tension headache? Head and neck pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal complaints.

• About two thirds of the population will experience head or neck pain at some point in their lives.
• Women are affected almost twice as much as men.
• Prevalence rises with age for men and women and is the highest in the age group between 50-59 years.
• The percentage of people in whom head and neck pain becomes chronic is generally thought to be about 10%.

Four of the most common head and neck pain conditions include temporo-mandibular joint disfunction (TMJ), headaches and migraines, whiplash and general neck and shoulder pain.

The following muscles can house sore spots that contribute to head and neck pain. This is how you can treat them yourself:

• You are looking for sore spots in the muscle, particularly those that re-create the pain you are experiencing.
• When you find a sore spot wait and hold until you feel the pain start to decrease.
• Go back to this point a couple of times until it is no longer tender on palpation.
• The pain you are experiencing from treating the trigger point should not be more than a 6 on a pain scale of 1–10. If the point is more painful than this you need to use less pressure.

Sternocleidomastoid (SCM)

• Stand in front of a mirror and rotate your head noticing the muscle that pops out on the side of your neck as you do so.
• Bring your head back to neutral and gently grasp this muscle near its starting point by the ear.
• Gently squeeze the muscle between your thumb and the soft knuckles of your first finger.
• Work the full length of the muscle to the collarbone, treating any trigger points you find.

Trapezius

• This muscle is found at the top of the shoulder.
• Work from neck to shoulder, grasping the muscle between your thumb and forefingers and treating any trigger points you find.

If you need help with your head and neck pain, let’s arrange a free 30 minute consultation. And I’ve also got a whole host of self-help sheets and exercise rehabilitation plans in my Head and Neck Pain Series, addressing TMJ pain, headaches and migraines, whiplash and general neck and shoulder pain. Click here to receive your free guide (plus an free download for low back if you are a new subscriber!)

I’m Louise Douse, founder of Bodyworks Massage and Movement Studio, empowering people in pain to connect with and find more ease, vitality and enjoyment in their body and in their day-to-day engagement with the world.

For a free 30 minute consultation get in touch by email louise@bodyworksstudio.co.uk.