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How to deal with neck pain

Neck pain is caused due to a variety of reasons. Neck pain if not treated early and appropriately can become chronic and worse. Here are some ways to deal with neck pain.

Modify your Lifestyle

In most of the situations neck pain is caused due to chronic stress on the neck muscles. Spending hours and hours before the computer screen, microscope or reading can lead to neck pain. This is because of the improper posture maintained while doing these activities. The head remains constantly flexed which causes the pain. In order to prevent this you need to modify your sitting posture. You must make some modifications like work in an ergonomic chair, raise the height of your table so that you do need to bend your head to do your work. Adjust the screen height of your computer, make sure it is at your eye level.

Take a break once in a while and do some neck movements and exercises that helps you in relieving from pain. Modifying the lifestyle is the foremost principle you must follow to deal with neck pain.

Take rest

The immediate treatment to get rid of neck pain is to take rest. Often neck pain is caused due to over strain of the neck muscles and ligaments. So, taking appropriate rest will help ease out the tension in the muscles and ligaments and the pain will slowly subside. Taking rest takes the pressure off your neck and gives your muscles, joints, and ligaments a chance to repair on their own.

You may consult your therapist and he will advise you on the number of days you need to rest. He will also advise you on the best position to take rest and maintain the natural curve of the neck and spine. If a certain position or movement is causing pain in your neck then you rest the area where you feel pain.

Ice and heat

Depending on the cause of neck pain you are experiencing, your therapist might recommend you ice or heat to be applied to that area. Initially there will be pain accompanied with inflammation. There will be redness, heat in the neck due to the inflammation. So, when the pain is acute then initially the doctor will suggest to apply ice on the painful area for a minimum of 15-20 minutes every 3 or 4 four hours for around 2 to 3 days. Once the inflammation has subsided then the doctor will suggest to go for application of heat through heat pad or thermal wrap for a minimum of 15-20 minutes every 3 or 4 four hours for around 2 to 3 days. This will ease out the pain almost by removing the waste products and promoting good blood circulation at the neck region.

Exercises

Once pain and inflammation has subsided a little, it is time for some cervical exercises. Exercise includes range of motion (ROM) and muscle strengthening movements. Exercises are done to increase the flexibility and also the range of movement of the neck muscles. They also increase the strength of the muscles so that they prevent recurrent injury to the neck. They should be performed for 10 counts and for 10 repetitions. You can do 3-5 repetitions 2-3 times a day if necessary. Some exercises are:

1. tucking the chin to chest and holding for ten seconds and the let go, repeat.

2. Rotating the head to left, center and the right. Maintain for 10 seconds, repeat 10 times.

3. Tuck the chin in to feel the stretch of the posterior neck muscles. Hold the stretch for 10 second and repeat.

4. Place head to right side. Hold for ten counts then repeat with head turned to left.

5. Shrug your shoulders to neck. Hold 10 counts. Relax and repeat 10 times.

Regularly doing these exercises will help you.

Acupuncture and Acupressure

In Acupressure, therapists use acupoints on the neck for relieving the muscular pain. Acupuncture has also gained huge popularity for treatment of neck pain. Acupuncture is very effective in relieving pain from whiplash injuries. Acupressure and acupuncture can be used some time simultaneously for relieving neck pain. Acupressure to the neck muscles gives relaxation and pain relief to the person suffering from neck pain.

 

First learn the acupuncture points once you know them, you can begin treatment. Apply a constant pressure, press and hold for three seconds, then release. Apply pressure in a circular motion to trigger points. You may feel a knot or held and there may be a tenderness at the site. This is a good sign that you’re in the right place. Continue to exert pressure until you feel the relaxation area. You can also apply ice therapy to the area.

 

Use light pressure on acu points several times a day. Start at the first sign of discomfort. You will gradually feel relief as days pass by. If you feel pain is not subsiding then it is time for you to visit the doctor.

Chiropractice

It is is a non invasive and drug free therapy consisting of spine adjustments, spine manipulations and ultra sound.

 

Spinal manipulation and spinal adjustments relieve pain in the joints and soft tissues. When the pain in the neck is due to some misalignment or due to a stiff join then Spinal manipulation and spinal adjustments done by the therapist will ease out the pain.

 

 

 

Ultrasound is another non invasive therapy to treat neck pain. The ultrasound waves penetrate deep into the neck and relieve pain by improving the blood circulation, removing the waste products from that area by lymphatic drainage and thus relieve pain with the fresh supply of blood and nutrients.

 

 

 

 

Magnetic therapy

Magnetic therapy is a new advancing therapy to deal with pain. It is a non invasive therapy with no side effects. It provides a lot of relief from pain and improves the blood circulation and also healing process.

 

Magnetic therapy relieves pain by increasing the blood flow in the area where magnets are placed. When the magnets are placed on the neck, they relax the walls of the capillaries which increases the blood flow and oxygen and nutrient supply thereby causing a decrease in the pain. The magnetic fields block the pain gate, therefore relieving painful spasms.

 

 

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