At any given moment, 1 in 10 adults is suffering in agony with neck pain from cycling. A whopping 50% of neck pain can be attributed to car accident injuries and, contrary to popular belief, the accidents don’t need to be serious to cause serious damage. Whiplash can be devastating to your neck and directly impact your quality of life. Here are 5 smart ways to give yourself fast relief from a sore neck.
- Apply Arnica Gel
Arnica gel is a lifesaver, this topical pain relief agent works by acting as an anti-inflammatory and a painkiller. Although these findings are not scientifically backed yet, I can highly recommend them. I work long hours quite regularly and my neck lets me know all about my bad posture and uncomfortable chair the next morning, I always apply arnica gel and it always helps until I can get a massage.
- Change Your Pillow Situation
Neck pain is the number 3 most common cause of chronic pain in America and until you can get the legal assistance you need for your neck and back injury, you need to find temporary fixes to help you get through the day. Many neck pain sufferers find that sleeping with only one pillow goes a long way in reducing their neck pain quickly. You can also try a water pillow, that way you can adjust your pillow daily until you find the right amount of firmness for your neck.
- Cold/Hot Compresses
Cold and hot compresses work like a charm for reducing and relieving chronic neck pain and back pain. You need to apply the cold pack first (ice back/frozen peas etc.) because the cold will slow your blood flow which will reduce your pain and inflammation. If you can massage or stretch out the cause of your neck pain, you can then apply the hot compress to promote circulation and speed up the healing process.
- Do Neck Stretches
Your neck muscles can be worked like any other muscle. Simple stretch exercises can be done daily and will help to prevent further neck injuries by helping you to strengthen your neck muscles. Neck stretches also help improve your range of motion and will easily get rid of a mildly sore neck. If any of these stretches hurt when you try to do them you should immediately stop and consult a healthcare professional.
- Get A Massage
Massage therapy is a tried and tested method for treating and preventing neck stiffness. Massages can help even in the case of severe neck pain but these should only ever be administered by a trained professional. If your pain levels are less severe you can try a few self-massage techniques to relieve the pain and tension. Considered one of the best ways to improve neck movement, massage is one of the best alternative medicines for treating chronic neck pain. Pinched nerves can often be the cause of bad neck pain, and they can also lead to problems with balance as well as cause dreadful headaches.
Neck pain can be debilitating but it doesn’t have to be permanent, if you get the right help at the first sign of trouble then your neck pain can easily be a thing of the past.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.