Mechanical neck pain

Mechanical neck pain is defined as pain in the anatomical region of the neck for which it is not possible to identify a specific pathological cause of pain. It generally includes neck pain, with or without pain in the upper limbs which may or may not interfere with activities of daily living. Individuals with neck pain that lack any pathoanatomic cause of mechanical neck pain is rarely identifiable. Although the cause of neck pain may be associated with degenerative processes or pathology identified during diagnostic imaging, the tissue that is causing a patient's neck pain is most often unknown.

Causes

Mechanical neck pain commonly arises insidiously and is generally multifactorial in origin, including one or more of the following:

1. Poor sitting posture.

       

2. Anxiety

3. Depression.

4. Neck strain.

5. Sporting and occupational activities.

Management

Despite of prevalence, less-than optimal prognosis, associated risk of disability, and economic consequences of individuals suffering from mechanical neck pain, there remains a significant gap in the literature, which fails to provide sufficient, high quality evidence to effectively guide the conservative treatment of this patient population.

Mechanical neck pain can be cured by some simple steps:

     1.  Correct posture can help by:

• Reducing strain on the body during movement and exercise.
• Reducing wear and tear on the joints, muscles, and ligaments.
• Maintaining balance while moving and exercising.
• Reducing the risk of muscle strain and overuse conditions.
• Improving spine health.
  

Best sitting position

   The best sitting position depends on a person's height, the chair they are using, and the activity they are doing while sitting.

A person can improve posture and achieve a proper sitting position by:

• Keeping feet flat or rest them on either the floor or a footrest.
• Avoiding crossing knees or ankles.
  
• Maintaining a small gap between the back of knees and the chair.
• Positioning knees at the same height or slightly lower than the hips.
• Placing ankles in front of the knees.
• Relaxing the shoulders.
• Keeping the forearms and knees parallel to the floor where possible.
• Holding elbows at the sides creating an L-shape in arms.
  
• Sitting up straight and looking forward without straining the neck.
  
• Keeping the back against the chair, or using a back rest or cushion if there are places where the back does not comfortably meet the chair, especially in the lower back region.
• Avoiding sitting for long periods at time, ideally taking at least 10-minute break for every hour of sitting.
  

References-

Mechanical Neck Pain https://www.physio-pedia.com/Mechanical_Neck_Pain#.XvX33MD6a90.