7 Methods to Relieve Neck Pain!

7 Methods to Relieve Neck Pain!

There are many available options to use to get rid of your neck pain. For the purposes of this article, we will explore methods you can do at home that don't involve seeing your doctor or taking a pain-killer. Keep in mind, however, if you feel the pain is getting worse, was a result of an injury or accident, you are experiencing visual problems, dizziness, or other neurological deficits, call you doctor immediately.

#1 is Ice. Ice helps reduce inflammation, relax muscles, and numb that particular region. The best thing to use is a gel pack; they stay cool longer and are comfortable to lay back against. You can even get ones that are shaped to fit on the shoulders and back of the neck.

#2 is Heat. Heat will also help relax the muscles and dull pain. It will increase blood flow to the area and is especially good in the morning to loosen up the neck so motion is easier. Often, those gel packs I mentioned can be a heat or ice pack.

#3- Muscle-relaxing gels, sprays or rub-ons. The one I find works the best is called Biofreeze pain relief gel. Biofreeze is all natural, lasts a long time, and doesn't have a lot of odor to it. You can also get a gel, spray bottle, or rub-on.

#4- Neck Stretches- Good old fashioned stretching of the neck makes a huge difference. Putting the neck through its normal ranges of motions works well, but also lateral neck bends can be one of the best options. Tilt the ear towards the shoulder and hold 10-20 seconds, it's that simple.

#5 is Neck Exercises- these are different from stretches because instead of stretching muscles we are now working on strengthening muscles to create muscle balance and hold the neck in its proper alignment. These can be done by putting pressure with your hand on your head for resistance. Go through the ranges of motion with your hand giving you light resistance. If in acute pain, exercises often should be avoided until some relief is achieved.

#6- Muscle Massage. There are actually many ways to do this on your own. If you are lucky enough to get your significant other, friend, or relative to give you a neck and shoulder rub- great, but often you need to do more massage than they will give. I find one great way to massage muscles is to reach across your body with the opposite arm to massage your neck and shoulders. Use a circular massage with your finger tips, but you can often press and hold on a trigger point or muscle knot for 7-10 seconds at a time to allow it to loosen or break up. There are also a lot of great tools you can use to massage your muscles so your fingers aren't sore and also will allow you to reach hard-to-reach areas.

#7 is a good Neck Pillow. The right neck pillow will not only give you good support, but relieve nerve pressure as well. It should have a neck roll built in to support the curvature of the spine, which allows the nerves to have adequate room when traveling off of the spinal cord. Not only will this help you sleep at night and give you relief when laying down, it will also help train your posture to improve for the long run.

I've mentioned 7 great, easy things to do, but keep in mind there are also more options. Not only that, there are combinations of the above that can help give you relief even faster.


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