Although most people experience neck pain one or more times, they do not know if they should take it seriously. Neck pain treatment is a concern that you should consider treating immediately. The neck is an essential part of the body that supports our head. On average, a human head weighs 8-12 pounds. Now, you can imagine how difficult it can be for the neck to support the head at all times. Before heading onto remedies for the treatment of neck pain, let us pinpoint the causes of neck pain.
Causes of neck pain:
Though there are many causes of neck pain, the main causes are as below:
1. Strain:
Strain is a condition in which the muscles are stretched to a length that causes them to tear or break down. There are many reasons behind it, like poor posture, wrong exercising techniques, working at the desk for too long, a bad position of the neck while sleeping, inappropriate exercising gear, and many more.
2. Injury:
The neck is highly susceptible to injuries. It gets hurt and damaged during falls, sports, car accidents, and sudden movement. The exposure of the neck to sudden and high pressure causes the threat of neck injuries, including fractures. If the bones in the neck get fractured, it can also affect the spinal cord.
3. Heart attack:
Neck pain is one of the symptoms of a heart attack. However, it is necessary for it to have other aided symptoms like breathing problems, sweating, nausea, and vomiting.
4. Meningitis:
It is a condition in which there is inflammation in the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord. People experiencing Meningitis can have a stiff neck with headache and fever.
Remedies of treating neck pain:
1. Rest:
Rest is one of the simplest techniques of recovering the neck. It is the most effective strategy to treat the neck pain that arises due to stress and stains. By taking some rest, you offer the muscles, bones, tendons, and ligaments in your neck to release the pressure that they get due to holding your head; hence, they recover naturally. Rest has been a part of medical care for ages; however, doctors today prescribe taking it for a few days.
2. Ice and heat therapy:
It is essential to treat neck pain with home treatment. You should begin your treatment with Ice therapy. Ice therapy is the simplest and fastest way to relieve a painful neck. Ice is able to numb the nerves of the neck and halt the flow of blood to the affected area by contracting the vessels, to control inflammation.
It can instantly offer relief to soft tissues of muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Medical professionals and physical therapists recommend taking the ice therapy within 24- 48 hours of pain initiation. You can take ice therapy by applying ice or spraying an ice spray on the affected area. However, you can also take an ice-cold shower.
Once you are able to control the pain with ice therapy, you should head over to heat therapy. Remember, heat therapy should follow ice therapy. It helps muscles to recover by resuming the flow of blood- the oxygen to the affected area.
3. Change the pillow:
One of the reasons for neck pains is the wrong position and alignment while sleeping. For avoiding neck pain, you should use a pillow that comfortably supports your neck. A pillow should be able to maintain the neutral position of the cervical vertebrae. It is recommended to sleep on a flat and orthopaedic pillow that is able to support the natural curve of the neck. With these pillows, some prefer to lie on their back; while, others prefer to lie on one side.
4. Sleep on your back:
The ideal position to relieve neck pain is sleeping on your back on a thin or orthopaedic pillow. It supports the entire spinal vertebrae offering to support the natural curves of the spinal vertebrae. People find it comfortable to sleep on their back with pillows under their arms. It helps them ease the pressure on the spine and neck. However, if you prefer to sleep on one side, make sure you do not use a thick pillow that makes your neck bend irregularly during sleeping.
5. Hydrate:
Though hydration is necessary for overall bodily processes, it is even more significant for neck pain. It helps in nourishing and hydrating discs that exist in the cervical vertebra. The weak disks can cause pain in the neck; therefore, it is essential to hydrate them to avoid pain.
6. Medications:
If your pain does not ease with the home treatment, you should see a doctor. Doctors recommend medications for neck pain that include OTC(Over-the-counter) or NSAIDs(Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). These pain killers provide instant neck pain relief. These include ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and naproxen sodium. They immediately help in countering pain and inflammation. Many people take them without a doctor’s prescription; however, it is very necessary for pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic, and hypertension patients.
7. Physical therapy:
Recent research shows that physical therapy is the simplest and most effective technique to get rid of neck pain. It helps in treating neck pain thus avoids you from medication, surgery, or them together. In fact, it is safer than medication or surgery. A physical therapist makes a plan for you to help ease and recover from the neck pain. They offer simple neck exercises and tips like sitting in a firm chair that you can do at home.
8. Chiropractic therapy:
Chiropractic therapy is a non-surgical treatment that helps you get rid of neck pain and its related symptoms. It is a method of manipulation of cervical vertebrae. Chiropractors use their hands to manipulate the neck to loosen the joints of cervical vertebrae. This approach is widely gaining immense popularity for being a safe method of treating neck pain.
9. Carry weight evenly:
Another thing that you have to consider is carrying the weights evenly. Most of the time, carrying a heavy object with one hand causes stress and strain in the muscles of the neck that causing neck pain. To avoid neck pain, you must try to carry almost even weights, if not exactly the same weights.
10. Give up your phone:
Do you want to get rid of neck pain? Get rid of your phone first. Because, today, it is growing as the major reason behind neck pain. We spend almost 6-7 hours a day scrolling mobile phones. The position of the neck while using the phone is erected downward, which is dangerous for neck pain, as it causes stress and strain.
Bottom line:
Neck pain is one of the potential concerns that can be treated with some rest, changing the pillow, correcting the posture, and taking medications and physical therapy.
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