Muscle pain, poor posture, neck strain, sporting and occupational trauma, accidents, joint dysfunction, depression and anxiety can all lead to mechanical neck pain, a condition where the neck loses its normal joint motion with altered behavior of cervical muscles.
Studies have shown mechanical neck pain is found in 40 to almost 70% of the population. The semispinalis cervicis muscles and splenius capitis extend and lateral flex the head. The longus colli and longus capitis are deep neck flexors and the multifidus act as a spine stabilizer. These muscles when examined after experiencing chronic neck pain, compared to a healthy population are often found to have remodeled action due to reduced cross-sectional area or imbalances. Anomalies that occur lead to poor control of joint movement causing repeated microtrauma and eventual pain.
Following mechanical neck pain a large part of therapy is restoring normal strength and function. The hallmark of an exercise program is injury prevention, making neck training an integral part of your program goes a long way to avoiding this common disorder.
Lowering the Risk of Neck Pain is an Important Reason to Include Pendulum Neck Training as a Part of an Exercise Program