A Pain in the Neck

One of the side-effects that crept up on me was a nerve problem in my upper spine that was a direct consequence of my keeping my neck still and stiff in order to control my balance when walking.  Over a period of time this lack of movement and, indeed, the physical effort required to keep it still, actually compressed a specific nerve, causing me no end of problems and a fair amount of pain in the end.

I realised – too late – that this same issue was one of the things causing my tension headaches and, of course, the muscle tension in my shoulders and tingling in my arms.

A physio explained to me how I'd caused this, and that I needed to carry out a set of exercises that would initially resolve the nerve problem, but would, if continued, help keep it at bay.  Of course, when you're pain free it's really easy to forget these exercises, and I've subsequently had the same nerve issues a few times.  I have to say, though, that the exercises I was given start to help immediately.

I am convinced that, had I been aware of this potential side-effect, I would not have had the nerve damage, because the exercises when I remembered would prevent it from becoming that severe in the first place.

So, to anyone who thinks they might be having or could have the same issues, the following link demonstrates the exercises really well.  Ignore the bit that mentions dizziness – you may well get dizzy, and I'd advise closing your eyes when you do them as they can be done sitting down.

http://www.thephysiotherapysite.co.uk/physiotherapy/exercise/simple-neck-exercises