Understanding neck pain – a holistic view

Do you have neck pain or pain in your cervical spine? There can be many causes – let’s look together at what we can do.

Everything in the body is connected

Everything in the body is interconnected. Your jaw joint with your head, through the muscles and fascia in your face. Your head with your neck, down to the collarbone, shoulders, chest – all the way down to your feet.

And then there are our persistent thoughts and emotions, which often show up in the body.

Acceptance is the first step

Do not let anyone convince you otherwise: getting rid of neck problems is usually not entirely easy. Accepting that – and still doing something good for myself every day – has changed more for me than searching for that one trick.

Have hope and believe in yourself.

Building stability from the ground up

Sense your connection to the ground as you stand, walk, sit and lie down. Feel yourself upright – through groundedness rather than effort.

Tension and feelings

Ask yourself – not to explain the pain, but to notice what else is present:

• Where am I holding on when I could let go?
• Where am I staying rigid when softness would also be possible?
• Where am I making myself dependent on others?
• Where am I not yet taking up my own space?
• What am I carrying for others right now?

Then let go of what comes up – without judging.

Practising Nei Gong

Qi Gong and Nei Gong work differently from purely physical exercises: more slowly, from within, with plenty of attention to what is already moving as you practise.

In the language of this tradition, cultivating Qi opens joints, vertebrae and energy centres, and you become upright again from within. What I can reliably describe is this: over time, the neck becomes calmer and bears its load more willingly.

To be completely honest: with more complex neck problems, simple exercises probably will not be enough. I really recommend learning Nei Gong with a good teacher and practising regularly.

Bite and jaw

Opening and closing your mouth should feel easy – without clicking. Sometimes a filling or crown is a little too large and throws everything out of balance. Because everything in the body is connected, this can affect even the spine.

If you suspect this, speak to your dentist about it. It can be treated effectively.

Simple neck exercises

The neck likes stability, freedom, curiosity and inner calm – and sometimes an exercise or two as well.

Two rules here: if a movement causes pain or pain radiates into your arm, stop – this is not a moment to push through. And if you feel dizzy, slow down or pause; if it happens again, have it checked.

• Look slowly to the left, then to the right. Repeat this, sometimes faster, sometimes very slowly – for five minutes. Sometimes with wide movements, sometimes small ones.
• Do the same looking up and down.
• Slowly move your head forwards and backwards like a pigeon.
• Tilting: with your right ear towards the sky, then your left.
• Circles: forwards, down, backwards, up. Slower is better!
• Half circles: head to the left, diagonally forwards to the left, forwards, diagonally forwards to the right, right – and back.

Vertebra by vertebra

Working with the spine as a whole is important for neck pain.

A simple exercise:

• Stand firmly on the ground with your feet parallel and shoulder-width apart.
• Close your eyes.
• Lower yourself particularly slowly – vertebra by vertebra – from the head down.
• Pause where you feel a blockage.
• Relax more deeply.
• Come back up very slowly, vertebra by vertebra.
• Pause for a while before repeating the exercise.

Sleeping better

Good sleep is not always easy with neck pain. A few ideas:

Sleep on your back – Try falling asleep on your back. If you wake up during the night, lie on your back again. It may take a few weeks before it feels natural. You can place a hand under your neck and give your neck some attention as you fall asleep.

A firmer surface – In Japan, people sleep on futons made from natural materials. In a soft bed, the body has to keep tensing muscles to stay level. A firmer futon can help – but it takes a while for the body to get used to it.

Change your pillow – Have several pillows and switch regularly. This gives the body fresh stimuli. The pillow should not be too large. A rolled-up towel under your neck can also feel good – or try sleeping without a pillow at all.

Meditate before sleep – Sit upright and find peace. A good technique: sit upright and forget. If you fall asleep calmly, you will have a better night.

Movement

With neck pain, you should think holistically. The whole body can be moved and strengthened.

• Qi Gong, Nei Gong, yoga, Tai Chi
• Walking and hiking
• Swimming
• Gentle strength training – performed particularly slowly

Everyday posture

Check your posture in everyday life – especially at work. Is your screen at the right height? Are you sitting upright and relaxed? Check this after exercises that have opened your spine too – we tend to slip back into old habits.

And on your phone: is your posture good? Are your shoulders relaxed?

Therapies

For pain that lasts longer, professional support is worthwhile. This is not a list of recommendations, but what I have encountered over the years – what suits you depends on the findings:

• Osteopathy
• Shiatsu
• Bowtech therapy
• Crafta therapy
• Atlas therapy
• Thai massage
• Lomi Lomi massage

Sense your body during treatments, find peace and open yourself to change.

Tools for home

A few things that have helped me. They are very different: some are simply pleasant, while others act mechanically on the cervical spine and need to be discussed beforehand.

Gentle options

Heat lamp – Warmth can allow tense muscles to soften.

Warm bath – With bicarbonate of soda or Epsom salt, it often relaxes the whole body, not just the neck.

Shiatsu massager – Place a towel over it and make sure only the muscles are being massaged – not the vertebrae.

Devices that apply traction to the neck

Posture Pump and Neck Hammock work by applying traction to the cervical spine. The Posture Pump in particular has sometimes saved my day – it was recommended to me by a doctor who knew my neck.

The first step

You do not have to do everything at once. Choose one thing that speaks to you – an exercise, a habit, a question to ask yourself. And then keep at it.

Your neck carries a lot. Give it some attention – and it will thank you for it.