Blog

A common question I receive in practice is “why does my neck hurt?”  The problem with answering this is that there is not one answer you can give to everyone.   The most common answer I give people is that posture is your issue.  We have been developing the way we hold our body since we were children, mimicking our parents or coping with our own structural normalities to stand, sit, and lay down.  These postures we hold become normal to us, it becomes ingrained in our muscles to contract in a certain way to be able to control our spine and peripheral joints. The nerves become normalized to this muscular function and then naturally hold our bodies in this way.  When you see someone with “good posture” you notice it and when you see someone with “bad posture” you also notice it.

Gravity, muscular strength, and neuromuscular control are all factors in how your posture is manipulated or changed.  Being aware of what you need to change in your posture to eliminate your neck pain is the first step in changing the way you hold yourself.   Have an RMT or other health care professional assess the way you sit and make the changes you personally need to make.  You cannot generalize; everyone is different and needs to work on different things.   You should practice sitting at your desk, professional athletes practice their sport, RMT’s practice massage, and you should practice sitting with good posture. If you drive or stand a lot, practice postures that work for you in those situations.  There is not a “fix” that any one therapist can give you, it is your responsibility to change the posture you have been practicing since you were a child.  Practice will take away your neck pain!

Adam Mullock, RMT, BHSC