Twelve pounds — this, according to the American Chiropractic Association, is the average weight of someone’s head.
Your neck, and your neck alone, supports that weight (and probably more for others); add this to the fact that the flexibility to move your head every which way leads to potential injuries, and you have got one recipe for neck pain.
While some pain issues could only be bothersome, others may signal a more severe medical issue.
In either case, you will want to address the discomfort when the numbness, the stiffness, or the throbbing pain begins to affect your everyday tasks.
Here is a quick list of things to do when you’re faced with neck pain.
Do seek a specialist for your neck pain.
Proper neck pain care NYC residents will want to know, starts off with the appropriate diagnosis. Unless you’ve been in an accident involving your neck, without knowing what is truly causing your cervical spine(i.e., your neck) great discomfort, the course of your treatment might not be so precise or effective. A physician or therapist specializing in neck injuries would be able to alleviate your pain and allow you to recover from the injury.
Do try to reduce stress.
Emotional tension can contract and tighten muscles, which leads to stiffness and pain. Yes, stress cannot be avoided, especially if you work in a high-pressure environment, like emergency health care or investment banking. But you can try to reduce the impact of stressful situations by practicing meditation and doing breathing exercises.
Do limit high-risk activities.
You will want to be very honest with your chiropractor or physical therapist about the level of activities that you do. Certain activities like heavy weight lifting, doing overhead work, or sleeping on a pillow that’s too high or too low could aggravate your neck pain. You’ll want to be as detailed as possible about your activities to the physician so that a determination can be made about whether to limit them or not.
Do practice good posture.
Postural stress can also cause neck pain or contribute to its intensity. Be conscious of how you sit when you work or stand or even watch something on the screen.
Do ask your specialist about your options for traditional and innovative treatments.
Physical therapy is an effective and traditional way of addressing neck pain. But with the advancements in spinal health, you now have wide-ranging options for treatment to speed up recovery. Ask your specialist about Active Release Technique (ART), Graston Technique, and other innovative treatments that resolve neck pains.
