Do you have a stiff neck after waking up, or does it hurt after your day-to-day activities? Different kinds of neck pain indicate various underlying issues. There are so many reasons for experiencing neck pain including, poor posture, injury, car accident, and many more. If you carry a heavy load on your neck or sleep on the neck, you will likely experience short-lived neck pain. In case you suffer from an injury and hurt your neck, and the pain doesn’t go away, then that is chronic neck pain. Here are some ways to fix neck pain.
Improve the Posture
How you hold your posture in the day may have an impact on your neck. When using a computer or a phone, ensure you avoid leaning your head forward. This can strain your neck after some hours. When using your phone, bring it close, in front of the face and when it comes to a computer, ensure the top third of your screen is your eye level.
Chin Tucks
To fix neck pain, stand with a good posture, and your back should be against the wall. Ensure you are looking forward, and then press your head towards your wall gently. If your head fails to touch the wall, worry not but ensure your chin and eyes are in level. You will feel a tender neck stretch; however, you shouldn’t press hard. Remain in that posture for around five seconds and repeat it severally for quality results.
Change Your Sleep Pattern
Sleeping on your stomach is not healthy for your neck because you will exert a lot of stress on your neck joint and muscles. It is important to support your neck while sleeping. The best sleeping posture is either to lie on your side or back. You might require two pillows if you are lying on your back: the bottom pillow to support the shoulders and the upper pillow to support the neck.
Improve Neck and Shoulder Motion
You might experience abnormal strain to your mid-neck due to stiffness in the upper back and upper neck. To fix neck pain, reduce the strain and increase and restore the natural neck and shoulder motion.
Retract Your Shoulders
Keep your neck relaxed while sitting to bring the shoulder blades together. Avoid hunching up the shoulders and retract them slowly and smoothly. Repeat the process around ten times to effectively fix neck pain every day.
Treating Severe Neck Pain
It is easy to treat acute neck pain, but it can be chronic if you fail to receive the correct treatment.
Ways of Addressing Acute Neck Pain
- Massage
- Muscle stretching
- Taking OTC medications
- Exercise
- Posture
- Using cold and hot therapy
- Minimizing burden from back and neck muscles
Before trying to alleviate acute neck pain through your methods, it is advisable to consult with a therapist to know the best techniques for your condition. If you perform the wrong exercise, you will exert excess stress on the neck leading to a severe injury.
Treating Chronic Neck Pain
If the neck pain refuses to lessen even after trying the techniques discussed above, it is termed chronic. Chronic pain stays for a long time. You can address this issue through self-care and taking the necessary precautions; for instance, using the right posture when sitting and trying home remedies such as cold-hot therapy and muscle stretching may alleviate chronic pain.
However, to fully address this issue, you will require the support of a physician. This will also ensure that you do not cause further damage to yourself while trying to get better. It is important to meet with the doctor before attempting any form of treatment. The doctor will determine the source of the neck pain. Pain from tightened muscles is treated differently from pain from a torn ligament or sprain.
Discover More about Fixing Neck Pain
Getting the right treatment for your neck pain is very critical. The right exercises help to prevent the condition from getting worse. It is also important to visit our doctors before trying any form of treatment. We will help you to know the right exercises to practice and give you adequate support. Schedule a consultation with our doctors today at 205-637-1363, and we will help you resolve the neck pain problem.