Chronic Neck Pain With Clean X-Ray

Thank you very much Crystal! Knowing this can take a long time to fix helps, because most of the web-site's say neck issues should clear up in a few weeks and that's obviously not the case. I'm down to 2 monitors from 3, so my next step is going down to 1 monitor, and then I'm going to get a standing desk if that doesn't work. I'm sure you are right, 13 years of sitting at a desk has probably created this mess. 

As far as the exercises, they are more geared towards fixing my tight chest, years and years of heavy bench press and evidently the muscles now overwhelms my back. I feel great doing the back exercises but the only thing I was told to do for my neck was to stretch it, which doesn't seem to be helping but the fact that it isn't getting worse could be a good sign. As you said, could just take a long time for results. 

Thanks again, really appreciate your help

Most non-serious injuries will heal in a 6 week period. However, this is not considered an injury to the medical community...in fact, most know zero about muscle imbalance...haven't even heard of it...If you have forward head posture, the therapist needs to be instructing you on how to activate your deep neck flexors. Desk workers have problems with forward head posture...to sum it up the head goes too far forward, the patient raises there head to see out toward the horizon tightening the muscles in the back of the neck( suboccipital area/ upper trap) Unfortunately, the body compensates for these overworked short muscles by lengthening and weakening the deep neck flexors. Sternocleidomastoid and scalenes get short and tight. When using arms out in front of you this rounds the shoulders forward because this is where the head is. This shortens the pec minor/ pec major and lengthens the back muscles as you mention creating a big huge mess of muscular imbalance and repetitive strains. These imbalances are collectively called upper and lower cross syndrome. Stretching the tight muscles followed by strengthening of the weak is needed. I am assuming your therapist feels some sort of scapula instability is creating your neck pain, but the shoulders will continue to round forward if your head is too far forward. Must learn how to flex the neck using the right muscles ( deep neck flexors)  This will keep the head from going too far forward and will calm the spasms in the back of the neck when a balance between the 2 has been achieved. Working the right back muscles can be helpful, but this alone did not help my neck pain. However, working the deep neck flexors did. It took 2 1/2 years to get rid of daily pain for me....the neck has a lot of sensitive structures...be gentle and patient. if your too aggressive, you will pay for it in pain. Also, you may want ask your therapist why you are only stretching your neck... I realize the answer is because they think it is too tight, but the next question is why does he/she think it is too tight...this will allow you to hear their rationale and test their knowledge on this subject...alsio remember this, it takes 6-8 weeks to begin building muscle, it can take several days of doing an exercise to know if it was a good choice or bad choice, most of these issues have spread beyond the area of pain meaning there can be multiple dysfunction/ imbalance...in other words, it can take a long darn time to correct so you don't have time to waste on any therapist who is not well versed...not saying this is the case for your therapist  but I would definitely want to understand her treatment plan.

Wonderful information! I had no idea my poor posture could wreck my neck with so much pain. You have never met me and yet have explained my posture problems perfectly. I have very slumped shoulders, and I do find myself leaning forward during much of the day when I am writing programs, especially when I'm really engaged with what I am doing and forget everything around me. Plus, I was the 15 years of heavy-bench-press-guy who didn't spend as much time working my upper back. Add the years of leaning forward doing computer work and I'm probably one of the worst cases of upper cross syndrome you are going to find. Painful scalenes (I had to look it up) is definitely where I have my pain, right side (C4/C5), and I never would have guessed in a million years that posture problems and muscle imbalances could be the culrpit. 

Is there a reason why modern medicine (ie my family doctor) doesn't know much about muscle imbalances? Normally you can find just about anything on mayo clinic's website, but it is odd that this painful and deblitating condition is not more widely diagnosed and treated. I imagine if I bring this up to my doctor he will probably act like he doesn't know what I'm talking about. Odd, isn't it? 

Thanks again for your time and expertise on this issue crystal, I appreciate it more than you will ever know! I'm going to read everything I can and keep doing my exericses and stretches to try and fix this issue. Sounds like a very long road but at least I have a path to follow. Thanks!!!

Explaining why Doctors have never heard of this would be a very lengthy subject on my opinions of this. I am an RN, and when I started having neck pain, I had to take a long journey to figure this all out myself. I spent thousands...saw 4 physical therapist, 1 pain specialist, 2 general physicians, 2 neurosurgeons and I can tell you it seems to me they are either ignorant to the subject or the money isn't in the fix.  Now,  2 1/2 years later every time I run across posts such as yours, I realize the ignorance of this subject by the medical community really ticks me off...people addicted to pain killers, the possibility of unnecessary surgeries, and the millions of people afflicted with pain destroying their lives....and this subject never coming up by any physicians seeing these patients even when they can't explain someone's symptoms....blows my mind...do yourself and everyone you love a favor....learn as much as you can about this, alleviate your problem with work and patience....as you go along...you will revisit sites such as this one or meet people complaining of body ailments and you will see many people are complaining of symptoms that sound like the same darn thing as this....Then, if them people have visited two hand full of physicians who can not find what is wrong, there you will be, with a head full of information that may just change their life...and at a minimum make them open their eyes to the possibility that the problem may be staring them right in the face everytime they look in the mirror....Posture! Good Luck to you!

I will never forget this. Saved me a lot of potential pain, frustration, and despair. Thank you so much for helping people out here. You are an godsend!