Five Tips for Reducing Neck Pain

Pain in your neck can literally be a "pain in the neck" because it can seem to never go away no matter what you do. Sometimes even resting or sleeping can seem to cause more discomfort and you never wake up in the morning feeling rested. Neck Pain can even cause headaches, numbness and tingling that shoots down your arm, or weakness in your arms.

So what do you do if you experience neck pain or headaches? Ice, heat, and ibuprofen are just temporary "bandaids" that can help in the short term, but don't give long term results. Resting can also help while your resting, but the pain can often be worse when you start to move again. Will anything help with the pain?

That answer is yes! I want to share 5 tips with you that can dramatically improve your neck pain, decrease headaches, and get you back to doing all of your favorite activities again!

1. Start with gentle mobility. It may feel like it's difficult to move your neck, but movement can actually help increase blood flow (better than heat) and decrease pain. Start by gently looking up and down as far as you can comfortably, then look side to side, and then bring one ear towards your shoulder and then repeat on the opposite side. Repeat each movement 10-15 times.

2. Suboccipital release. Grab 2 tennis balls or 2 lacrosse balls and place them in a sock. Lie down on the floor and place the tennis or lacrosse balls right at the base of your skull. Find a spot that is tender and just lie in that position. This will help relax those muscles and can help with headaches. Do this for 3-5 minutes.

3. Diaphragmatic Breathing. Lie down on the couch or a bed and place a hand on your chest and another hand on your stomach. Take a deep breath in, hold for 4 seconds, then breathe out slowly. Focus on your breathing and try to relax. Do this for 3-5 minutes.

4. Thoracic Mobility. Sometimes the joints below your neck tighten up and cause increased pain in the neck. Improving mobility throughout the spine can decrease stress on the neck and relieve pain. Here's one routine that can help: https://youtu.be/d9CYNpf8Fy8

5. Gentle Strengthening. Strengthening the muscles in the neck, shoulders, and upper back can help to support the spine and decrease pain in the neck. Start with gentle strengthening exercises and gradually increase the difficulty.

Here's a video with some neck exercises that you can start doing today as well! 

Be patient and consistent as you go through all of these tips. You will feel some relief immediately, but in order to see lasting results, do some mobility and strength exercises at least every other day. If you do all of this and are still struggling, feel free to schedule an evaluation call to discuss more treatment options!