Doctor: Neck and shoulder pain and how to prevent it

I work in an office. Recently, when I sit for a long time, I often feel tired and have pain in my neck and shoulders, which is very uncomfortable. Doctor, please tell me if this is dangerous and how to prevent it? (Thai Minh Thanh, 28 years old, living in Ho Chi Minh City)

Master - Doctor Nguyen Duc Thanh, Department of Traumatology, Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City:

Cervical spondylosis is the most common musculoskeletal disorder, which can occur at any age, especially in middle age and especially in office workers who have to sit a lot.

Symptoms of neck and shoulder pain vary in severity: dull or severe pain in the neck, nape, aching and uncomfortable feeling, sometimes sharp pain like an electric shock. Pain can spread to the ear, temple or down the shoulder, arm. People with neck and shoulder pain do not have limited joint movement except in severe cases. Some cases may be accompanied by muscle stiffness, numbness in the arm, forearm, hand, finger or more severe muscle weakness, muscle atrophy. There may be painful points when pressing on the spines behind and next to the cervical spine with limited movement of the cervical spine.

Common neck and shoulder pain is not dangerous, but causes a lot of anxiety and discomfort.

Causes of neck and shoulder pain:

Sitting in the wrong position for long periods of time.

Hold the phone to one shoulder and listen and take notes.

Sitting and working continuously with the computer.

Wrong posture when driving a car.

Pillow, sleep with head on chair.

Sitting in front of a fan or in air conditioning for a long time.

Long exposure to rain and sun.

Washing hair, bathing at night... reduces oxygen supply to muscle cells, causing ischemia in the muscles, also leading to neck and shoulder pain.

In addition, neck and shoulder pain can also be caused by diseases such as: cervical spondylosis, cervical disc herniation, spinal stenosis, congenital torticollis, deformities, inflammation, and neck injuries. In these cases, patients need to see a doctor early when there are dangerous signs: numbness/pain spreading down the arm, muscle atrophy, arm weakness...

To prevent disease, pay attention to correct posture during activities.

Do not work at a desk for too long, especially with a computer. Every 30 minutes, you should stop to do some movements of your neck, shoulders, and arms. When talking on the phone, hold it in your hand. If there is an armrest, it will reduce the tension in the muscles of your neck and shoulders.

Always keep your neck straight, avoid incorrect posture when studying, reading or typing, and do not bend your neck for too long.

Sleep in the correct position, do not use a high pillow to read or watch TV, it can easily cause incorrect cervical spine posture, when sleeping, only use a pillow about 10 cm high.

When watching TV, you should lean your back against the cushion, your head slightly tilted back against the chair, and your neck should rest at a point that matches the physiological curvature of the neck.

When driving a car or motorbike, you need to sit in the correct position, avoid leaning too far forward or backward.

In particular, do not crack your neck. This is a habit of many people when their neck is tired and they believe that doing so will relieve the pain, but in reality, it has the opposite effect. If the disc has degenerated, bending or twisting the neck will create momentum for the disc to herniate and make the condition worse.

Regularly exercise or at least exercise between breaks, apply movements in cervical spine exercises to increase endurance, increase flexibility of the tendon system, muscles and ligaments around the spine.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bac-si-oi-cang-dau-vai-gay-va-cach-phong-tranh-185909278.htm