While not all natural remedies for neck pain are medically proven to be effective, some sufferers have found that certain simple lifestyle modifications and home remedies go a long way in helping them to manage their pain. Here are a few you could try as early as today …
Choose An Ergonomic Chair
When it comes to managing neck pain, keeping good posture and having the right chair is key. Be sure that the chair you spend the most time sitting in has a headrest. Using a chair with a headrest will help you to keep your cervical spine in a comfortable and neutral position. When driving in your car, also make it a habit to use the headrest. Many drivers do not do this, yet making use of headrests is a simple way to improve your spine health.
Think Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral that aids in the contraction and relaxation of muscles. Because neck pain is most commonly the result of a muscle sprain or strain, naturally increasing your intake of magnesium could be helpful.
One of the easiest and most natural ways to increase your magnesium intake is through diet. Magnesium is commonly found in fruits and vegetables, soy products, whole grains, and beans. Further, you may have heard of taking a warm bath with Epsom salt, which contains magnesium, or using natural magnesium bath flakes. Since magnesium can be absorbed through the skin, a warm bath with Epsom salt or magnesium flakes can be extremely relaxing and effective at relieving pain and soreness.
If you are interested in taking magnesium supplements, be sure to speak with your primary care physician first. Having your doctor’s approval and recommendations will help in preventing or at least minimizing any potential adverse reactions.
Phone & Mobile-Device Use
Many people will put unnecessary strain on their cervical spine by cradling their phone while talking. Instead of doing this, make it a habit to use your hand to place your phone to your ear. Need to multi-task and free your hands while talking? Opt for a Bluetooth or hands-free headset to make calls.
Further, neck pain sufferers are developing “text neck” by bending their neck downward for long periods of time to send text messages or to browse the Internet. Instead of doing this, be sure to hold your smartphone or tablet up high enough so that you can see the screen when looking straight forward.
If you’ve tried everything and still are not getting significant results or pain relief, get in touch with our Spine Specialists at Stridewell Clinic. You do not have to try and navigate the path to relief alone. We are ALWAYS here for YOU! Stridewell Tips
Consider Physical Therapy
Seeing a physical therapist can be very effective for those suffering with neck pain. A physical therapist can help you to change your lifestyle to reduce the risk of neck pain and re-injury. Upon evaluating your condition and everyday habits, your physical therapist can also help you to identify secondary causes of pain that you may have never even considered. Most importantly, being committed to physical therapy sessions will enable you to strengthen the weak areas of your neck through targeted exercises. Having a physical therapist recommend exercises, provide instruction, and monitor your work-outs will ensure that you do not further aggravate your condition by performing exercises improperly.
Get In The Pool
Relaxing in the swimming pool will help your body to relax. Relaxation is very important for reducing tension and relieving muscular pain. Being active in the water can also provide the health and mood benefits of strenuous cardiovascular exercise while offering very low impact and virtually no stress on the skeletal system. To read even more about these benefits and get some ideas about different types of exercising in the water, we invite you to read our full article on Pool Time & Pain Relief.
Stay Hydrated
As simple as it may seem, many of us do not consume enough water and regularly experience at least some degree of dehydration. The average adult should consume around two liters of water daily – even more during very hot weather or when sweating excessively. Our water intake is relevant to our spine health, as the disks between the vertebrae in our spine our largely made up of good ‘ole H20. In fact, a newborn’s spinal disks are approximately made up of a whopping 80% of water! As we age, the amount of water in our disks decrease, thereby leading to disk degeneration. By staying well hydrated, we can slow down the natural aging process of our disks and reduce the chances of experiencing disk problems and spine-related pain.
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