Ways To Get Rid of Neck Pain

 A stiff neck can be painful and uncomfortable especially when moving the neck or when trying to turn your head to the side. Neck pain even makes sleeping uncomfortable. A stiff neck is sometimes accompanied by a headache or shoulder pain. It can interfere with your daily activities and can remain painful for a long time if not managed properly.

Most of us are staring into computers or smart phones these days and looking down at an uncomfortable angle which is the common cause of strain to our neck muscles and other soft tissues of the neck. Staring down at your gadgets or computers all day tire the muscles around the neck joints and become overstretched. Other causes may include but not limited to; poor posture, stress, osteoarthritis, neck or spinal injury, clenched jaw, sleeping position and repetitive neck motion.

You can prevent stiff neck by changing your lifestyle like regular exercise, good posture, stop smoking and making sure you take time to stretch while in the office.

Here are some tips that can help you prevent or get rid of neck pain:

• See a physio. Your physio will be able to assess your condition and can give you treatment as well as exercise plan to help you eliminate the pain and heal faster.
• Rest. Enough but not too much. Enough rest to make the stiffness heal is needed but too much rest can weaken the muscles of your neck.
• Stay hydrated. It prevents further degeneration of your discs between the vertebrae in your spine as it requires water to maintain disc height and spinal alignment and to take pressure off the spine.
• Avoid long using of gadgets and computer. In the office make sure to rest and stretch.
• Heat pads and cold packs helps relieve stiff neck. Some uses cold packs for the first 24 - 48hrs to reduce inflammation however others also prefers hot pads.
• Gentle stretching. This helps the stiffness and recover fast. Ask your physio about proper exercises that you can do to reduce pain and restore the neck strength.
• Maintain good posture - Slouching can worsen the existing neck pain especially if you sit for long periods. Bad posture can strain your neck and back  then it adds up little by little. When in an office, make a reminder for yourself to stand up and stretch a little from time to time. Being aware of posture throughout the day can keep the spine naturally aligned and minimize stress on the neck.

Physiotherapy is great for not only neck pain relief but also treatments that include massage, dry needling (acupuncture), chinese cupping therapy, hyperbaric chamber, functional movement, strapping taping for foot pain relief, posture analysis, headache treatment, back pain relief, shoulder pain relief, knee pain relief.

There are many other ways to reduce or eliminate neck pain. If you have questions or if you need help for yourself or for someone you care about, call your physio.