Feeling neck pain or having a stiff neck is more common than you may think. However, sometimes this pain can radiate down your arms or, if persistent, it could be an indication of a more serious issue. There are some ways you can get some neck pain relief and we will go over them in this article. Read on to find out more, and learn where to receive the best neck pain treatment in Webster, Texas.
What are the Most Common Causes of Neck Pain?
- Poor Posture: Do you spend long periods of time sitting in front of a computer screen? If so, your neck pain may come from the strain of being constantly in a bad position. It could also be what is called “Text Neck”, a type of neck pain that comes from excessive mobile phone usage and too much typing or scrolling while looking down.
- Aging and Worn Joints: Wear and tear of the joints is a naturally occurring phenomenon that affects all parts of the body, and the neck is not an exception. With long-term stress and repeated movements, or simply as a result of the aging process, your cervical spine can deteriorate and weaken, causing decreased mobility and pain, appearance of bone spurs or pinched nerves.
- Injuries & Diseases: Physical trauma can also cause neck pain. Most notably, a car accident often comes with a whiplash effect that forces your head to suddenly jerk back and forth with so much strength that the tissues around your neck can’t handle it and they get strained, causing pain. More rarely, neck pain can be a symptom of some diseases like meningitis, rheumatoid arthritis or even some types of cancer.
- High Levels of Stress: There is a proven link between stress or anxiety and neck pain. Similar to having poor posture, constantly dealing with high levels of stress can cause muscle tension which could lead to pain. Anxiety-related pain is an ever-growing issue and usually most of the tension builds around the neck and shoulders.
What Can You Do to Get Some Neck Pain Relief?
- Get a Good Night’s Sleep: Enough rest and overall good sleep hygiene are crucial for the body’s recovery. If you are looking for some neck pain relief and prevention, you could adjust your sleeping position so that your head and neck are aligned. A pillow or cushion under your neck should do the trick. Try sleeping on your back with another pillow below your knees; that should relieve some of the pressure on your back and help prevent more straining.
- Adjust your everyday posture: Reduce the strain on your neck by making sure your computer screen is at eye-level, so that your head is not constantly pushing down. When using cell phones or tablets (or even while reading a book) try to hold the device straight out so that you don’t have to look down at them, causing more and more neck pain. Also, try keeping your shoulders in line with your hips. Here you can find some exercises that might help you get some neck pain relief.
- Manage stress: If you feel overwhelmed and think stress might be behind your neck pain, we recommend you try using some healthy coping strategies such as yoga, meditation, journaling, breathing exercises, talk therapy, or other options that might work for you.
- Work Out and Stay Active: Exercising while in pain is difficult but crucial to strengthen the muscles. Stretching your neck daily with simple exercises such as chin tucks often provide some pain relief, especially if your neck pain comes from poor posture. Check out this infographic for some easy exercises you could do right now. Aerobic exercise like power walking or biking also helps increase blood flow around the body and should make you feel better overall.
Neck Pain Relief in Webster, Texas
Try these lifestyle changes out for yourself and if you don’t get good pain relief, Space City Pain Specialists is here for you, at our clinic in Webster Texas. You call or visit us for more treatment options that can get better results.
