Weight training aids chronic neck pain
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -
New research suggests that
strength training may ease chronic neck and shoulder pain, a
problem that has grown increasingly common as people spend more
time on computers.
For 10 weeks, women in the strength-training group worked
out their neck and shoulder muscles using hand weights, three
times per week for 20 minutes. Women in the aerobic-exercise
groups worked out on a stationary bike.
After 10 weeks, women who strength-trained showed a 70
percent to 80 percent decrease in their pain ratings from the
beginning of the study. In contrast, those who got aerobic
exercise often felt better in the couple hours afterward, but
there was no long-term pain improvement.
The findings are published in the journal Arthritis &
Rheumatism.
