Neck exercises

SimonC
SimonC Member Posts: 14
in Chat to our Helpline Team

I am newly diagnosed with arthritis in my neck which is causing me pain.

My GP is recommending excerises like the ones you have here. I am worried they will cause more damage.

Can yoi give any reassurance on this?

Thanks

Simon

Simon 💜

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Comments

  • Aj_x
    Aj_x Member Posts: 206

    Hi @SimonC

    Welcome to the Online Community Forum. Thank you for finding us.

    I will have to agree with you arthritis in your neck is painful but what kind of arthritis is it?

    I am not sure what exercises your GP is recommending, but I have attached the link for the exercises that are on the Versus Arthritis Website.

    Exercises for the neck | Versus Arthritis

    I am unable to reassure you about further damage because I am not medically trained, however, personally if you are in so much pain I would speak to your consultant regarding it.

    Take Care & Stay Safe

    AJ_x

  • SimonC
    SimonC Member Posts: 14

    Thank you for getting back to me

    Simon 💜

    Simon 💜

  • helpline_team
    helpline_team Posts: 3,742

    Hi SimonC,

    Thank you for posting on the helpline forum, when someone is first diagnosed with a condition it can make a person feel unsure and anxious, which is very understandable especially if they are experiencing a lot of pain, the last thing they possibly want to do is to start exercising, but exercise is very important, it helps to increase the strength of your muscles, ease stiffness, and restore your range of movement.

    With any form of arthritis, it is important to get help and support to manage the condition, your GP has suggested that you do some exercises, but you could also ask your doctor for a referral to see a Physiotherapist, so that you will feel reassured that you are doing the right exercises as they are specialist in assessing movement, addressing individual needs, helping to improve function, and managing pain.

    Simple stretching and strengthening exercises every day, can help to increase the strength of your muscles, ease stiffness, and restore your range of movement. Start by exercising very gently and gradually build up how much you do.   As with any physical activity, some aches or discomfort during or following exercise are normal and should be expected. But if an exercise makes your symptoms significantly worse you should stop doing it. If you do feel any discomfort after the exercises you could try, applying a heat pack to your neck can help to ease pain. You can use a microwavable wheat bag, a hot-water bottle, or a reusable heat pad, which you can buy from chemists and sports shops. An ice pack, or even a bag of frozen peas, can also be helpful. Make sure you wrap heat or ice packs in a towel and don’t put them directly onto your neck to avoid burning or irritating your skin. You might want to consider applying a heat pack to your neck before and after exercise to help soothe the muscles.

    Because you have only recently been diagnosed, I have attached the link below to Neck pain for further information.

    https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/neck-pain/

    Best wishes

    Chris

    Helpline Advisor

     

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