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Your neck is a nerve intensive spot in which things can go quickly wrong. Everything you eat and drink passes through your neck area as well, and the ability to quickly turn your head so you can see what’s coming up behind you is crucial to your safety. When your neck hurts, you need help.
Avoid Cold
If you’re headed out on a cold day, do your best to keep your neck warm. A cold neck means tight muscles, and tight muscles can hurt. Wear a hoodie under your jacket and consider adding a scarf around your head as well if it’s really cold.
If you have to be out in the wind, consider adding a windproof jacket over your hoodie and scarf. A windproof jacket can create an oasis of warmth inside your coat, which can keep your muscles loose if you’re at risk of slipping on ice or snow.
Consult with a Surgeon
Sometimes a neck injury can mean having to get surgery in order to get better. Consult with a professional surgeon to see what your options may be. There are many different types of neck pain treatment options that are available to choose from. An expert can help you narrow down the best option for you or your family member.
Ice Sparingly
If you do develop nerve-related neck pain, create a cold compress with a soft cloth and a bag of frozen peas or blueberries. Wrap the bag in the soft cloth and apply it to your neck for no more than ten minutes to reduce inflammation around the nerve pain site. After ten minutes, take off the ice pack and consider some gentle stretches.
If you have muscle spasms related to your nerve pain, it may be tempting to apply heat. As a general rule, you’ll be better off avoiding heat, as heat can increase the inflammation at the site of the nerve impingement or inflammation. This tissue inflammation can actually put more pressure on the nerve. Ice for ten minutes an hour, then try to move gently or lay flat to reduce pressure on your neck.
Stretch Slowly
Your skull is 12 to 14 pounds of fused bone. In comparison to the small bones in your neck, your skull is huge. When stretching the neck, we wind up using the weight of our skull to pull on those muscles. Don’t ever do rapid neck stretches or full roll-arounds if you have neck problems. To start, square your shoulders and look straight ahead. You’ll hold each stretch for 20 seconds of 5 reps each, or each side, and come back to center after each rep.
1) Slowly lower your chin until you feel a comfortable stretch in the muscles of the neck. To intensify this stretch, place your fingertips on your shoulders and point your elbows straight ahead so you can also stretch your upper back.
2) Gently tilt your head back until you feel the stretch where your head meets your shoulders. For more relaxation, open your mouth and let your jaw hang slack.
3) Turn your chin toward one shoulder and hold, then turn to the other side. Avoid pushing your head back as you work this stretch.
4) Tilt your ear toward your shoulder. Do this stretch at the end of your routine and do not force this stretch.
Keep a Journal or Use a Timer
Getting on top of your neck pain may take some tracking. While bone misalignment can be fairly easy to see on diagnostic tools, soft tissue pain is often a big part of neck pain. When is your pain most severe, and how do you soothe it? Does it wake you up, or come on later in the day?
By tracking your pain you can get a better handle on the factors that help you and what increases your pain. Your physician will have a better understanding of the factors that are increasing your discomfort if you get in the habit of keeping a pain journal. Being in pain may mean that you don’t get much activity at all, which can cause problems in the rest of your body. Try to use a timer to make sure that you don’t neglect the rest of your body.
Conclusion
Even a simple exercise, such as a walk around the block, can lift your spirits without adding to your neck pain. Allow yourself the time to get out on your own so you can enjoy the peace of moving your body through space. If you can’t turn your head to check both ways, turn your whole body until you can get some help for your pain level.
