It’s reasonable to assume that most of us have experienced or been reminded of an event or accident that resulted in chronic discomfort in the neck. In fact, 13% of American adults (women more so than males) deal with chronic neck discomfort at some point in life.
It is established knowledge that the cervical spine’s soft tissues (muscles, tendons, and ligaments) are the source of most chronic neck discomfort (the neck).
Muscle tension, and the spasms that follow from it, can be the consequence of a direct blow to the neck (causing spinal stenosis, arthritis, or disc degeneration) or they might develop gradually over time for no discernible reason (triggering trauma).
In this article, you will learn ways of managing chronic pain, and understand pain signals, and their implications for mental health — not exclusively about using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, but also with relaxation techniques, and other natural pain medicines.
The following advice should help alleviate Chronic discomfort in the neck, whether it’s caused by an ongoing ailment or by a simple case of waking up with a stiff neck. By adjusting the height of your pillow to suit your preferred sleeping position, you can reduce the risk of developing chronic discomfort in the cervical spine.
Change Pour Pillow.
There are a variety of solutions for ensuring your neck is supported and comfortable while you sleep, but finding the one that’s right for you may take some time and experimentation. When selecting a pillow, look for one that supports your cervical spine in a neutral position, which means it maintains the normal curvature of your neck.
What works best for you will depend on the root of your neck pain and how you like to get some shut-eye. The following are a few instances of this:
The neck might be a problem for certain people. Patients with chronic pain report relief while lying on their back with a reasonably flat cushion or an orthopaedic pillow, which provides more support under the neck and a deeper depression where the head sits.
There are many who like to sleep on their sides and feel that they need additional support from a pillow to get comfortable.
Some people find it more comfortable to relax in an inclined chair or bed. A compact or flat cushion works best in this supine posture.
If you’re like most people, you switch sleeping positions several times during the night. Because of this, it’s important to have a cushion (or multiple pillows) that can accommodate all of your preferred sleeping postures.
Sleeping on your back is recommended because it allows your spine to relax in its entirety. Sleeping on one’s back with a pillow under each arm may alleviate neck pain for those who believe the weight of the body distributed evenly throughout the body is lessening the pressure on the spine and the cervical spine.
Some people with spinal issues, such as arthritis or stenosis, find that sleeping at an angle helps them get some rest, so they use a foam wedge pillow or invest in an adjustable bed to achieve this.
If you sleep on your side, you should use a pillow that is no more than 4 to 6 inches thick, depending on the distance between your neck and the point of your shoulder. Normally, at this height, you won’t have to worry about your head or neck having to make any unusual twists or kinks. In the end, it’s not a good “fit” if it’s not comfortable.
By adjusting the height of your pillow to suit your preferred sleeping position, you can reduce the risk of developing chronic discomfort in the cervical spine.
The computer screen should be at the same level as the user’s eyes.
Relax in front of the computer and shut your eyes. Open them so that the top one-third of the screen is in focus. You should adjust the height of your screen if you find yourself constantly bending down to read it.
Because seeing a laptop screen usually requires sloping your head downward, an external monitor may be a huge assistance.
Put on headphones.
It’s important to maintain a neutral neck and head position when on the phone to prevent neck and shoulder strain.
The best method to avoid the temptation to hold the phone in the wrong way while conversing is to use a hands-free device, such as a headset or ear piece. You may even get a modern device that hangs around your neck like the LG Tone and use it constantly throughout the day.
Improve your range of motion and muscle tone in your neck by exercising and stretching.
Doing quick sets of strengthening and stretching exercises throughout the day can help keep your neck muscles strong. The chin tuck is a basic yet effective workout.
The muscles responsible for bringing the head back over the shoulders are given a good workout with this routine. Scalene and suboccipital muscles are also lengthened by this movement.
Keep your fluid levels up.
The spongy materials that separate each of your neck’s vertebrae need to be nourished and hydrated, thus drinking enough water throughout the day is important for this very reason. Since water constitutes the bulk of these discs, maintaining an adequate water intake will aid in maintaining their pliability and strength.
Strive for 8 or more full glasses of water daily. Determine what works best by experimenting with several approaches:
Be sure to have a water bottle with you and take sips throughout the day, or set a reminder on your watch or phone to remind you to drink water every two hours.
To stay hydrated, have two or three big glasses of water with every meal.
Be sure to distribute your load properly.
Carrying a large pocketbook or briefcase on one side of the body is a typical error that individuals do. If your shoulders aren’t level, you risk hurting your neck muscles as you carry the weight.
First, bring only the bare minimum in your handbag or briefcase, and try to keep your shoulders back and down as you go about your day. Think about getting a backpack that can be carried comfortably by using both shoulders.
Keep an upright and supportive stance.
Because poor posture strains the muscles and ligaments that support the neck, it can eventually lead to injury and chronic discomfort in the neck.
The most typical case of bad posture leading to chronic neck discomfort is a forwards head and shoulders position. The head will be front of the shoulders if the neck is curved forwards.
The upper back and neck muscles have to support an extra 10 pounds for every inch the head moves forwards. Moving the vehicle ahead by just 5 inches generates an additional 50 lb. of thrust. Do your best to avoid this by always keeping your chin tucked in.
The upper back also sags forwards in this position, putting stress on the spinal column.
Reduce chronic pain from trigger points.
Muscle trigger point chronic pains are often brought on by irritation of the facet joints in the lower cervical spine. Chronic pain can be caused by trigger points, which are tiny knots in the muscle or fascia (the layer of tissue under the skin and around the muscle).
Self-massage techniques can be used to target these trigger points and relieve chronic pain and are considered the best chronic pain treatment. For more information on these exercises, see Trigger Point Exercises for Chronic Neck Pain.
An extra piece of advice: put down the phone.
Many of us spend too much time hunched over our phones, staring at them with our heads and necks bent forwards. Your neck’s ligaments, joints, and bones weren’t meant to be strained in this way, yet that’s exactly what happens when you lean forward like that.
One of the easiest and most effective things you can do to alleviate neck pain is to stop looking at your phone while you’re using it, or to hold it so that your head is level with your shoulders.
We wish the aforementioned advice success in alleviating and avoiding chronic discomfort in the neck.
Finally
For more information on chronic pain management, acute pain, pain disorders, chronic pain resources, psychogenic pain, effective chronic pain treatment options for pain relief, or other physical therapy, you should book a consultation session with a specialist at Chronic Therapy today, give you professional advice that will suit your personal experience.
Also, for people who develop chronic pain due to unforeseen circumstances and are constantly worried about treatment options to relieve pain, and on how to treat chronic pain or get their chronic pain treated, our specialists at Chronic Therapy have made huge success over the year in recommending reliable resources such as CBD derived from medical cannabis used to manage chronic pain from nerve pain or any other developing chronic pain conditions.
