Neck Pain? 5 Things You’re Doing Wrong
Neck Pain? 5 Things You’re Doing Wrong.
We understand how frustrating it can be to deal with chronic neck pain. Missing out on family activities, taking sick days and just not feeling yourself can be downright demoralizing. Fortunately, for over 10 years we’ve helped patients resolve their neck issues so they can get back to living their life and doing the things they love. Here are the top 5 causes for neck pain and our advice for relief and resolution:
- You’re not managing your stress. Emotional stress tends to manifest itself in tight upper back muscles that pull on the lower neck. Try an exercise called Emotional Freedom Technique, start a yoga nidra meditation routine with Bold Tranquility or attend a yoga class at either the Lakeshore Yoga Center or On The Path Yoga.
- Your pillow and “sleep posture” are hurting you. You should sleep on your back or on your side with a firm, but flat pillow. You don’t want something too big that it props your head up too much. Use a slightly thicker pillow if you sleep on your side and bring the bottom of your pillow to just below the tops of your shoulders if you sleep on your back. Poor posture in any facet of your life (work, exercise, using a phone) will add unnecessary stress to your neck and upper back.
- You’re not moving. Lack of motion in any part of your spine (or joint in the body) leads to muscle tension and poor circulation which contributes to pain. Try these 3 simple exercises (starting at the 7:30 mark) daily to help the motion and function of your upper back and neck.
- You’re not breathing properly. Take a deep breath and notice what parts of your body move. Most people move their shoulders up or expand their belly out to breath. But both of those motions negatively impact different parts of your spine, causing pain. The ideal way to breath is by expanding your rib cage. Expanding the rib cage allows for optimum intake of oxygen without any negative impact on the rest of your body.
- You’re not getting adjusted. Misalignment in the neck and tension in the skull can contribute to pain. Chiropractors detect these imbalances and make corrections (adjustments) to restore alignment which improves mobility and alleviates tension. Some specially trained chiropractors also perform cranial therapy to relieve tension and improve stability. Combined, these techniques often alleviate neck pain.
