Pain in the neck may increase somewhat as changes in posture and muscles are noted so do not be alarmed

Getting rid of pain in the neck can be a pain in the neck!

When correcting neck problems of a longstanding or chronic nature, it is reasonable to experience some neck pain initially as posture begins to normalize and muscles along with ligaments and nerves change to adapt to new positions.

Pain in the neck during the initial stage of performing neck exercises, using a neck pillow or neck traction may be noted and would be considered a normal effect of correction.

The initial "pain in the neck" stage, as I sometimes call it, should not be severe, but more like a sore neck. Just as you would expect some muscle soreness from any type of exercise that your body is not use to, the neck is no exception.

I would usually tell patients to expect some soreness or a mild stiff neck for about the first week of treatment. You may experience a slight increase in neck pain or notice that the areas of pain are changing. When effecting a significant change in neck posture as seen with using traction, pillows, or exercises, I usually look for changes in symptoms, either better, slightly worse or a changing pattern of pain in the neck.

What we want is no pain in the neck and often times a combination of the right pillow along with some mild traction and exercise produces quick relief and is a great positive feedback to indicate we are on the right path, however, just because there may be some initial reaction with soreness or stiffness does not mean we should stop. Usually this is short lived and mild in nature. What I do not like to see is no change at all after a week or two. This would be an indication to consider a different approach.

So do not be alarmed when pain in the neck increases slightly or changes in nature after initial attempts to correct posture and positioning with some of the methods described in this site.

On a related note; get out of the habit of saying or thinking to yourself, this is a "pain in the neck" as your state of mind can have an effect on your symptoms and the road to recovery. Think about it!