Chronic neck pain can be, well, a pain in the neck! Fortunately, some of our friends over at the Spine-health forum have come up with a wealth of simple yet unique techniques for neck pain management. Take a look at some of the best of them, listed below:
Stay hydrated
The discs between the vertebrae in your spine require water to maintain disc height and spinal alignment and to take pressure off the spine. Each individual spinal disc is roughly 80 percent water at birth, with this margin decreasing as the disc degenerates over time. Pairing your water intake with your daily habits, such as drinking two glasses of water after each time you brush your teeth, may also help. Over time, maintaining strong daily hydration habits may prevent further degeneration of cervical discs, which may reduce neck pain.
Increase topical and oral magnesium intake
Neck pain is most frequently the result of a muscle strain or sprain. Increasing your intake of magnesium, a mineral that aids in the contraction and relaxation of muscles, may help avoid these pain causing problems. Magnesium is commonly found in fruits, vegetables, beans, soy products and whole grains.
Magnesium can be absorbed by taking a bath with Epsom salt, or a similar supplement. To prevent adverse reactions, you may want to consult with your physician before beginning use of any supplement or oil.
Avoid cradling the phone in your neck
One way you may not even realize that you’re aggravating your neck is through angling it while speaking on the phone. Don’t cradle the phone between your ear and shoulder, as this puts unneeded strain on your cervical spine. Though it may seem like a small step, correcting phone posture can do wonders for your neck.
Consider Physical therapy
Sometimes simple home interventions are enough to treat neck pain, often though, it helps to see a physical therapist that can treat abnormalities, show you how to stretch and strengthen your neck and vertebrae, improve your posture, and prevent neck pain from recurring. To help you learn proper postures, the physical therapist might have you stand in front of a mirror while exercising so that you can see your mistakes and correct them. Your physical therapist can help decrease the pain, and can provide you with strategies to prevent future episodes of neck pain. By working hard in physical therapy you may be able to eliminate the pain and return to normal activity quickly and safely.
“9 Lesser-Known Tips for Easing Neck Pain.” Spine-health. Veritashealth.com, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.
