Dealing with neck pain can cause some people to use their sick leave. Others will walk around with pain relief ointment on their neck while some people turn to pain medications. The pain medications and ointments are only masking the underlying problem which is of course your neck pain. What is neck pain? Why do you get neck pain? Why do you only get neck pain on certain days? Why don’t you have neck pain all the time? There are thousands of questions about neck pain and most episodes of beck pain can be related to whiplash.
Whiplash is when you have a sudden force that causes your neck to jolt without you moving it. Normally whiplash is common if you are in a car accident or if you ride roller coasters or other theme park rides. The neck pain normally goes away after a few days, but you could have soft tissue damage that is leading to a handful of other problems. If you have neck pain that is accompanied by numbness in the neck, shoulders, arms, or fingers, seek medical attention. You could have an underlying condition like a herniated disc.
Many people experience neck pain while they are working. This can be directly related to their posture while they work. Do you have proper desk ergonomics? This means you need to sit-up straight with your arms resting on the armrest. The elbows need to be at a 90 degree angle and you should be about 20 inches away from the computer screen. The computer screen must sit at your eye level. If you are sitting appropriately, ask yourself how often do you take breaks? Your neck is holding up a very heavy head and it needs time to relax.
Make sure you do some neck stretches each day. Bend your head from one side to the other and stretch your neck muscles for at least 20 seconds. After you have bent your neck from shoulder to shoulder, stretch it up and down. Sit back in your chair and just prop your head back so you are looking at the ceiling. Hold this stretch for at least 20 seconds. You can even close your eyes during this stretch and give your eyes a much-needed break from the bright lights of the office.
Neck pain can also be caused from sleeping in a wrong position. Purchase a new pillow if you experience neck pain on a daily basis. Your old pillow could be causing your neck to be propped up too high or it could be too low. Having a stiff neck is common for many people. Just make sure you perform your neck stretches each day.
Simply rubbing your neck muscles can help to relax them. Have your spouse or partner massage your neck each day. Yoga neck massages are a wonderful way to keep your neck limber and to relieve neck pain. Lie down on your back and make sure your spine is properly aligned. Now, have another person gently push down on each shoulder individually one time and then together. After they press on the shoulders, have them gently massage your shoulders and your neck. Then, grab the head under the chin and securely around the back of the head and pull up. This should give you a nice stretch clear down your spine. After this, gently massage the face and the head. Yoga massages are a wonderful way to reduce excess stress that may be building up in your neck. Try to have the other person give you a yoga massage each day to relieve your neck pain. If you are still experiencing neck pain, try taking some over-the-counter pain relievers or contact your doctor for some medications that improve neck pain.