How to Relieve Neck Pain Yourself

Neck pain is, well, a pain in the neck ! It can come on quickly, be relentless, and interfere with every day activities. There are many options to relieve neck pain. Here's how.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. 
    
   For neck aligment

   Choose an appropriately designed pillow to alleviate neck pain that is often times worse upon waking in the morning. By choosing wisely, you may be able to relieve neck pain before it becomes chronic. For reference: back sleeping is optimal for your neck and spinal alignment, side sleeping is next, and stomach sleeping is a no-no. Choose a pillow that works best for whichever position you use regularly.

2. 
    
   Take a hot shower to relax muscles

   Take hot showers to relieve neck pain by loosening the muscles of the neck. Choose a shower head with multiple options such as water streams or pulsation.

3. 
    
   Proper stretching

   Lessen the discomfort of neck pain with gentle stretching techniques such as chin to chest, side to side (ear to shoulder), and turning the head left, then right. Chin to chest, especially, will help with the forward head posture so many people habitually use by stretching shortened muscles.

4. 
    
   self massage

   Apply self massage to relieve neck pain. Using opposite hands; squeeze from the shoulder up the side of the neck, several times on both sides. Use your thumbs to apply pressure at the base of your skull in the indentations found there. Press and hold along these indentations on both sides of the skull to relieve pressure from tight muscles there.

5. 
    
   Warm wrap to relieve neck pain

   Use a hot herbal neck wrap. Heat in the microwave to a comfortable temperature and wrap around your neck to relieve neck pain.

6. 
    
   Use pain patches

   Try pain patches for relentless, chronic discomfort. These can be found over the counter in drugstores and large chain stores. They come in most sizes and shapes. The large back patches are most convenient because they can be cut to size. Cut a size you need for the neck area, peel the backing, and stick on. Long hair, turtle necks and other collars will hide the patch from view.

7. 
    
   See a massage therapist !

   Though not DIY: see a massage therapist to relieve neck pain caused by chronic tension you can't work out on your own. When this does not remedy the situation, consider a chiropractor or osteopath to rule out misalignment of the spine.

Tips & Warnings

• Take breaks from computer work.
• Stretching after the shower or using a warm neck wrap can be helpful.
• Be watchful of posture. Neck pain is often due to postural distortion such as slouching which causes the neck to assume an exaggerated curve to keep the head upright.

Resources

• Massage your abdomen for digestive health
• Massage away facial tension for better vision
• Handle stress more efficiently
• Eliminate headache pain

[turtledove]

on 8/27/2009 My daughter (a mother of 4) has tried everything but the pain patches. I'll recommend this to her. 5*

[ruf1950]

on 8/27/2009 Another Philbrick winner! This neck pain issue is tough to deal with; Thanks for the advice. 5***** - Gotta say nothing seems to work as well as a really good massage therapist and a hot, pulsating shower.

[adsaldana8]

on 7/23/2009 www.livepainfree.cieaura.com I recently learned about a new revolutionary technology in a "Holographic Chip" in which science found a way to introduce intrinsic vibrations or pulses that interact with the body’s vibrations. These intrinsic vibrations are not active until placed near the body. When the Chip is applied to specific acupuncture areas, it effectively relief's pain, increases energy and result in restful sleep. For years I have experienced pain on the back of my neck so I placed a chip where the pain was located, within 5 minutes the pain was gone. My wife broke her arm 6 months ago and has experienced pain ever since it healed, when she placed the chip on her arm where the pain was, the pain went away in minutes! The best thing about the chips is they contain no drugs and they relief the pain. If you experience pain anywhere on your body go to this website and learn more...

[jpwriter]

on 1/15/2009 Excellent ideas on relieving neck pain. It really is difficult to deal with especially once it becomes chronic. And, I like the step about seeing a massage therapist! That's great.

[LisaBud]

on 1/13/2009 I have to remember to stretch! And I'll definitely try the self-massage after a few hours at the computer. Thanks for the great info! 5*