Neck Arthritis: What You Should Know

Aging can be a pain in the neck, literally. Almost everybody experiences some degree of cervical vertebrae degeneration as we age. Most doctors believe vertebrate degeneration results from our relatively small neck bones, carrying a 9 to 10 pound head, that wear out overtime. Those with severe degeneration are susceptible to developing cervical, or neck, arthritis. Some of the most common symptoms of cervical arthritis include chronic neck pain, difficulty maintaining balance, and a stiff neck.

Exercise Can Help

When individuals feel neck pain, they commonly stretch their neck to relieve that pain. Although this may help to a degree, other alternatives may be more beneficial. For example, strength training has been found to significantly reduce neck pain, regardless of the cause. Studies have shown that results tend to be even more considerable in women. In fact, one particular study discovered that one in four women reported considerable neck pain relief from strength training. You may also find improvement in your ability to move your neck up and down and side to side.

Stretching Can Help

Although not necessarily as effective as exercise, stretching can also help with chronic neck pain relief. Stretching can be most useful if done both before and after exercising. Stretching loosens your muscles and helps with flexibility and even reduces the odds of injury while exercising. Also, stretches after exercising can reduce muscle aches the following day. 

Exercise Tips

Some helpful tips the team at Pain Specialty Group want you to consider the next time you exercise include:

• Start out easy and do a few repetitions, as you get better at the exercises increase the frequency and repetitions on a weekly basis.
• Exercise your neck on a daily basis.
• Attempt to stretch before and after going to bed. This can help prevent morning neck stiffness caused by neck arthritis.

If you suffer from chronic neck pain, Pain Specialty Group is here to help. We have been helping patients for years and our board-certified pain providers have decades of experience to help you with your pain. Contact Pain Specialty Group here.

Author

Aidan Fisher, Maureen Cassidy Pain Specialty Group