When we think of neck pain, we frequently jump to strains, sudden pains and high impact injuries. Fortunately, however, neck pain is pretty common. While some dangerous cases indeed result in chronic neck pain, our daily schedules tend to be the true culprits. We’re in luck, too, because our daily schedules can relieve the very same neck pain.
The Common Causes of Neck Pain
The biggest causes of neck pain are things many of us have encountered, at one point or another:
- Repetitive motions
- Infections
- Poor posture
- Exercise-related stress,
Whether we know it or not, our day-to-day routines have us moving quite a lot. For some, neck pain might arise from arthritis or even worn cartilage. As we get older, we tend to get a little more achy—but that’s not to say we can’t counter neck pain, at all.
Here are the five best ways to do it:
One: Sit with Neck Support
Many of us sit during work, throughout the days. We sit in our cars, sit during car rides, sit with family at the dinner table—the list goes on and on. Over time, bad posture can place a lot of stress on the spine, and it can even result in muscle strains and nerve suppression.
Because of this, one of the best ways to alleviate persistent neck pain—or even drive it away completely—is to invest in a neck-supporting chair. These chairs, usable in offices, at home and anywhere in between, are outfitted with therapeutic headrests. Designed to alleviate downwards pressure, these headrests are great for day-to-day use. They’re also adjustable, making them perfect for daily work environments.
Two: Swim
That’s right: Some exercise activities, beyond therapeutic stretching and yoga, can directly alleviate neck pain. Swimming, in any degree, is an incredibly low-impact sport. The water’s resistance is evenly spread across the body, and the body’s own buoyancy is surprisingly therapeutic for neck strains, pains and even arthritis.
Three: Start Tucking Your Chin
It may seem like an insignificant habit, but tucking your chin can be an incredibly effective practice for alleviating neck pain. But why so?
By and large, it’s because a tucked chin directly benefits our posture: Our bodies, in locomotion, are very ‘head-first,’—and doing so much as bending our chins down can enhance our posture, over time. Even better, a tucked chin helps strengthen the muscles which pull our heads back—further supporting the weight on our shoulders, every day.
Four: Physical Therapy
Physical therapy, is never a bad idea, as experienced providers well-versed in flexibility exercises, MRI tests and strength-building routines. Even so, there are a few ways we can keep neck pain at bay. More often than not, a few day-to-day practices, alone, can relieve any neck pain which has suddenly appeared. In the case of chronic neck pain, they can make daily life not only more comfortable—but even pain-free.
Five: Daily Hand Pushes
We sometimes see this type of stretch in fitness centers, on tennis courts and on baseball fields: ‘Hand pushes’ involve extending one arm straight out, grabbing the hand of that arm, and pushing against the force—right from the base of the fingers.
The resistance, when pushed against, actually travels up the arm—gently impacting, and stretching, the neck area. This is a great exercise to dry, day to day, as it can be done anywhere. And, similar to the other daily remedies above, it’ll help make your neck stronger, in the long run.
