Two broad categories of neck pain are important to look at: acute and chronic. Most people agree that acute neck pain lasts a maximum of 6 weeks, and neck pain becomes chronic after 3 months.
Acute 
Generally speaking, acute neck pain tends to be caused by injury and stress on the neck muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This is commonly caused by any of the following:

• Trauma to the neck – This can include falls, impacts, or whiplash.
• Poor posture – Keeping your neck hunched over or in other unnatural positions can cause stress on the neck and its supporting structures.
• Awkward head positioning when sleeping – If you fall asleep with your neck at a bad angle, you place a lot of stress on it. This is why some people wake up with stiff necks.
• Repetitive head motions – Overusing your muscles during some activities can result in muscle strains.
• Sudden head movement – Seen especially when exercising, a sudden head movement can cause neck muscles to contract painfully.

Neck pain is something most people have had to deal with at least once. It’s estimated that around 30% of the population experiences it every year. Many things can cause neck pain – it can be anywhere from sleeping in a bad position to an ongoing heart attack, though most of the time, it’s not anything too concerning.

Despite this, if you realize that your neck pain has been around for over a week, is severe, or there are other symptoms, you should get medical attention immediately.

Your neck is the upper part of your spine. It is composed of vertebrae, the small bones that make up the spinal column, and squishy discs that act as shock absorbers between each pair.

There are several muscles, tendons (tissues that connect muscles to bones), and ligaments (tissues that connect bone to bone) in the neck that help it move and stay upright. 

With all of these structures in the neck, there are so many possible causes of neck pain. In fact, since the spinal cord passes through the neck, even a problem in your feet could cause your neck to hurt.

In most cases, the pain will go away a few days after it starts. This doesn’t mean that all neck pain should be ignored, though. Sometimes it can point to a serious condition.

The importance of the neck in daily life

You might not realize how much work your neck does during a regular day. Before you start walking, you have to look where you intend to go, and your neck turns your head for that. Your neck will typically turn even before your body does.

Your neck adopts different positions when you’re sleeping, walking, working, and even using your smartphone. It plays a vital role, and it becomes painfully evident when you have any neck issues.

Chronic 

The causes of chronic neck pain tend to be more serious, long-standing conditions. Chronic pain stays around for a long time, and while it may leave for a period, it typically comes back when not treated. It is important to see your physician if you have chronic pain.

• Fracture of a vertebra.
• Herniated disc – This is when the soft inner part of the intervertebral disc bulges out through a tear in the outer layer. This bulge can press on surrounding tissues and cause pain.
• Spinal stenosis – This is when the canal that the spinal cord passes through begins to narrow. When small enough, it compresses the spinal cord and causes pain.
• Degenerative disc disease – This is seen in older people as the discs shrink and movement of the vertebrae against one another becomes tougher.

• Heart attack
• Meningitis
• Fibromyalgia
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Tumors in the neck

Certain groups of people are more likely to suffer from neck pain than others. The characteristics that increase the probability of someone having a condition (such as neck pain) are called risk factors.

The risk factors for neck pain include the following:

• Older age
• Reduced neck strength
• Neck or back issues in the past
• Smoking
• Majorly stationary work positioning
• Poor posture
• Poor psychological state such as stress, anxiety, low mood, etc.

Can exercise reduce the risk of neck pain?

For those who deal with acute neck pain, reduced strength in the neck is usually the basis.

To treat neck pain when dealing with it, individuals can do exercises that engage the muscles in the neck. These exercises will keep the muscles active and make them stronger, which, in turn, is effective in treating neck pain.

Treating neck pain comes down to taking care of whatever issue is causing it. However, there are many general remedies that you can use at home that can be effective in relieving a stiff or painful neck.

• Keeping the neck active and moving. It is important to avoid sudden forceful motions. Smooth and gentle physical activities that involve the neck, such as rope flow, are the best options. Range-of-motion exercises are also great for relieving stiffness.
• Gentle massaging of the sore regions of the neck.
• Worst case scenario - over-the-counter medication for pain, particularly NSAIDs and acetaminophen.

Poor posture when sitting or at work is one of the leading causes of neck pain. This is because bad positioning of the neck puts a lot of stress on its muscles, irritates the joints, and ultimately results in pain.

A lot of the time, the basis of poor neck posture is weak neck muscles. For this reason, it is easy to see how regular neck exercises can help make those muscles stronger, which is proven to improve posture. This, in turn, will reduce neck pain and increase mobility.

Rope flow is a style of exercise that uses fluid motions with a special weighted rope called a flow rope. It is held and moved in different ways to engage all muscle groups.

With neck pain, it is important to make sure that the rope flow exercises you start with only put the neck through a small range of motion. The range of motion can increase as you become more comfortable with the practice. Here you can see how can you try and practice movements with your jacket.

One person who complains of neck pain can feel very different from another person with the same complaint. There are different kinds of neck pain, depending on the cause.

The kinds of neck pain that a person might complain about include:

• Sharp neck pain – Stabbing pain felt at a specific point.
• Neck soreness – Dull, aching pain usually felt over a wide region of the neck.
• Tenderness – Pain felt when you press the area.
• Neck stiffness – Your neck is sore, and you find it difficult to move. 
• Pain with movement – Neck pain that you only feel when you move your head in certain ways.
• Radiating neck pain – Pain you can feel in nearby parts of the body, like the head, shoulders, or arms.
• Referred neck pain – When pain felt in the neck comes from another part of the body.

Two broad categories of neck pain are important to look at: acute and chronic. Most people agree that acute neck pain lasts a maximum of 6 weeks, and neck pain becomes chronic after 3 months.

Acute 

Generally speaking, acute neck pain tends to be caused by injury and stress on the neck muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This is commonly caused by any of the following:

• Trauma to the neck – This can include falls, impacts, or whiplash.
• Poor posture – Keeping your neck hunched over or in other unnatural positions can cause stress on the neck and its supporting structures.
• Awkward head positioning when sleeping – If you fall asleep with your neck at a bad angle, you place a lot of stress on it. This is why some people wake up with stiff necks.
• Repetitive head motions – Overusing your muscles during some activities can result in muscle strains.
• Sudden head movement – Seen especially when exercising, a sudden head movement can cause neck muscles to contract painfully.

Chronic 

The causes of chronic neck pain tend to be more serious, long-standing conditions. Chronic pain stays around for a long time, and while it may leave for a period, it typically comes back when not treated. It is important to see your physician if you have chronic pain.

The following conditions can cause chronic neck pain:

• Fracture of a vertebra.
• Herniated disc – This is when the soft inner part of the intervertebral disc bulges out through a tear in the outer layer. This bulge can press on surrounding tissues and cause pain.
• Spinal stenosis – This is when the canal that the spinal cord passes through begins to narrow. When small enough, it compresses the spinal cord and causes pain.
• Degenerative disc disease – This is seen in older people as the discs shrink and movement of the vertebrae against one another becomes tougher.

Other causes of neck pain

Besides the common causes of acute and chronic neck pain, you should still consider a few other causes. Some of them are listed below:

• Heart attack
• Meningitis
• Fibromyalgia
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Tumors in the neck

Certain groups of people are more likely to suffer from neck pain than others. The characteristics that increase the probability of someone having a condition (such as neck pain) are called risk factors.

The risk factors for neck pain include the following:

• Older age
• Reduced neck strength
• Neck or back issues in the past
• Smoking
• Majorly stationary work positioning
• Poor posture
• Poor psychological state such as stress, anxiety, low mood, etc.

Can exercise reduce the risk of neck pain?

For those who deal with acute neck pain, reduced strength in the neck is usually the basis.

To treat neck pain when dealing with it, individuals can do exercises that engage the muscles in the neck. These exercises will keep the muscles active and make them stronger, which, in turn, is effective in treating neck pain.

Treating neck pain comes down to taking care of whatever issue is causing it. However, there are many general remedies that you can use at home that can be effective in relieving a stiff or painful neck.

• Keeping the neck active and moving. It is important to avoid sudden forceful motions. Smooth and gentle physical activities that involve the neck, such as rope flow, are the best options. Range-of-motion exercises are also great for relieving stiffness.
• Gentle massaging of the sore regions of the neck.
• Worst case scenario - over-the-counter medication for pain, particularly NSAIDs and acetaminophen.

Poor posture when sitting or at work is one of the leading causes of neck pain. This is because bad positioning of the neck puts a lot of stress on its muscles, irritates the joints, and ultimately results in pain.

A lot of the time, the basis of poor neck posture is weak neck muscles. For this reason, it is easy to see how regular neck exercises can help make those muscles stronger, which is proven to improve posture. This, in turn, will reduce neck pain and increase mobility.

Rope flow is a style of exercise that uses fluid motions with a special weighted rope called a flow rope. It is held and moved in different ways to engage all muscle groups.

With neck pain, it is important to make sure that the rope flow exercises you start with only put the neck through a small range of motion. The range of motion can increase as you become more comfortable with the practice.

If it’s been a while since you’ve exercised or you’re having severe neck pain, you should aim to keep the head straight and look forward when doing rope flow. The head can move through space as you move your body, but it should not rotate or tilt. As your body gets more used to the motions of rope flow, you can begin to move freely.

Since the body is moving, the spine is, too, exercising the neck muscles in a gentle, safe way. The video will show you how to do this exercise properly.

With Octomoves, you can get 7-day free access to training modules, which will allow you to already see the benefits for your neck health. 

You can move on to more exercises as you become more experienced and comfortable with your flow rope. The good thing is, with just $19.99 every month, you have full access to Octomoves catalog of courses and even guidance from official coaches.

Rope flow is a great way to relieve neck pain. This workout involves using a weighted rope or cord to perform various movements and exercises, which can help to strengthen and stretch the neck muscles and improve flexibility and range of motion. Neck pain is common, with around 30% of the population experiencing it each year. It can be caused by a variety of factors, such as poor posture, repetitive head movements, and sleeping in an awkward position. Rope flow is a low-impact form of exercise that can be done by people of all fitness levels, making it a great option for those with chronic neck pain. So why not give it a try and see how it can help to relieve your neck pain?

If it’s been a while since you’ve exercised or you’re having severe neck pain, you should aim to keep the head straight and look forward when doing rope flow. The head can move through space as you move your body, but it should not rotate or tilt. As your body gets more used to the motions of rope flow, you can begin to move freely.

Since the body is moving, the spine is, too, exercising the neck muscles in a gentle, safe way. The video will show you how to do this exercise properly.

With Octomoves, you can get 7-day free access to training modules, which will allow you to already see the benefits for your neck health. 

You can move on to more exercises as you become more experienced and comfortable with your flow rope. The good thing is, with just $19.99 every month, you have full access to Octomoves catalog of courses and even guidance from official coaches.