How to deal with that neck pain?
Today is one of those days. I got up in the morning to reach my alarm and the pain in my neck started already. It is making me uncomfortable. It is difficult to move around my shoulder blades. It hurts when I turn my head and It tingles down my arm. Countless times I asked myself if It is related to my sleep, my pillow, mattress or just the stress from daily life, but the pain comes and goes, some days are worse than others.
If you felt related to this story, when you feel like a rigid tin man, It is pretty normal to say that it is a neck sharp pain, and I am no wonder why, if one of the worst injuries to get, like the common stiff neck, which limits the movement in the head. and how do we move if it is a problem to move our head to look to the sides. The neck as part of the spine plays an important role in holding the head and considering the average weight of the head on a human adult is 12 lbs constituting around 8% of the body mass, this could be a serious problem.
According to Hansraj KK and the Assessment of Stresses in the Cervical Spine Caused by Posture and Position of the Head in 2014, one rule of thumb is that for every inch that the head is held forward in poor posture, an additional 10 pounds of weight is felt on the cervical spine. So if the average head weighs between 10 and 12 pounds, just 1 or 2 inches of forward head posture can double or triple the load on the cervical spine.
This is the reality of many of us, that most frequently are passing by a similar experience with this chronic neck pain that can set our days to an unpleasant feeling affecting our normal functions and activities and even our mood. We normally control the pain with a pain killer and a massage and we cross our fingers that the pain will be gone in a couple of hours.
Due to our daily life, holding a phone in our hand a big part of the day, sitting at a desk, commuting or working from home, the use of one arm purses, heavy backpacks, texting and checking emails half of the day, clenching our teeth are the most common causes of neck pain. Doing heavy work or while practicing sports and exercising under stress can produce stiff necks as well. When the vagus nerve is compromised by the position of our neck, our body is not aligned properly while doing exercises It could cause a pull in the neck muscles and aggravating the pain or bringing back past injuries. Once the neck is injured from an accident like backsplash it can cause lack of the flow of oxygen and adding nerve pain to our arms and even fingers. Affecting the grip and the partial or total motion of the arm and hand.
How to treat neck pain naturally ?
Beside taking a pain reliever there are few options to decrease this issue.
Receive a massage : One of the best massages are the neck massages. The cervical spine compound by 7 vertebrae is a complex system and crucial to lay out our whole spine. Many nerves run from this area, connecting a vital section of our body with our brain. The massage therapist compresses around the neck, traps and base of the head, releasing pressure points and bringing flow of blood to the area.
Decompress the spine therapy: Stress is accumulated in the neck, compressing and cutting blood flowing in the arm. Find a chiropractor or professional in decompressing the spine to apply traction and stretch the neck by bringing oxygen in between the vertebrae.
Apply heat : using a heater pad, or electrical pillow for fifteen minutes , three times a day, or simply running warm water in the shower it could help to divert the pain.
Stretch daily, do not wait to go to a yoga studio to stretch, start today simply investing 5 minutes taking breaks during your work hours.
If the pain persists and irradiates to the arms , It is advised to seek professional aid as a regular doctor or specialist, perhaps setting up an MRI to check the state of the cervical bones.
Causes
Sleep time: While sleeping we are not conscious of the way we sleep. Just a few people pay attention to the quality of sleep and the condition of the bed and the pillow. Like its size, shape, density. Check your pillow and mattress. The way we sleep is really difficult to monitor but we can always set up pillows around the spaces that need support. I personally use a wooden pillow which has positively impacted my neck and my back pain.
We also can find if we are crunching the teeth while sleeping, this can cause a constant activation of the muscles of the neck and aggravating the neck issue.
Energy blockage: The throat chakra or 5th chakra is located in the neck, above the collarbone. This chakra is associated with the thyroid gland. By ensuring you have a healthy throat area you assist truthful and honest expression of your ideas. The chakra of communication can be blocked due to the tension of specific events of high pressure in our life , like guilt, blame, speaking the truth and lack of expression with others.
Training with poor technique: Many people at the gym do not pay attention in the alignment of the spine while training. especially the neck. While performing any exercise, our back should maintain a straight line from ear to shoulder to hip.
In many exercises we try to look at ourselves in the mirror while we move and this can cause an inadequate pattern in the body. For instance while performing deadlifts the hips travel back so the flat back extends parallel to the floor, in many cases the practitioner trying to look the form in the mirror causes the neck to pull off the entire abdominal wall, creating an internal imbalance and throwing off the activation of the core. The eyes should follow the pattern of the movement while moving in any plane , particularly while executing twist the eyes follow the trajectory of the body. That's why the importance of training with supervision and the right professional aid to avoid any improper form and dysfunction of the joints.
How to stay away from neck pain
Be sure your bed and pillow help keep your neck in proper alignment. Avoid awkward positions while sleeping.
While working at a desk, driving, reading books, texting and using smartphones, hold your head comfortably—not too far forward or back.
Take frequent breaks and rotate your head gently.
Reiki could be a great energy therapy to experience to release any emotional psychosomatic blockage.
Practice this basic stretches:
Here are a few exercises to get stronger the muscles that sustain our head straight and align with our spine.
As a yoga instructor since 2010 I never skip the neck warm up, preparing my students to prevent any neck injuries and to really get connected to their breath. Below I am describing my favourite exercises and stretches I have learnt with my physiotherapy and with the yoga practice and I incorporate them often in my classes.
Standing close to a chair. Place your feet hip distance apart, place your hands in top of the chair. Close your eyes and take a deep breath into your nose and let yourself fall towards the floor as you exhale by bending your knees you will be able to release pressure off your back and simply let your neck rest without tension from side to side. Stay in the inversion for 1 minute counting 4 deep breath of 20-25 secs cycle.
Sitting in a chair where the feet are comfortable touching the floor. Sit straight and hold one side of the chair with the right arm. Inhale deeply and Bring the left arm to the right ear overhead, exhale fully as gently you bring the left ear to the left shoulder. In this position we breathe deeply and mindfully. Close the eyes if you need to get connected to the sensations happening around the neck and arm. Remember to keep your core muscles tight maintaining a strong posture supporting the whole spine.
The stretch can be modified by bringing the chin up and away from the shoulder or bringing the chin down and rotating the head to the sides.
Find the power within yourself. Namaste
Joa Rivas was born in Venezuela. She is a brain coach performance certified, health educator, international personal trainer, nutrition specialist, Yoga instructor, Pilates, Tai Chi and general conditioning for posture, fat loss, personal development, and Thai massage therapist. She lives in Toronto, Canada. For inquiries and work do not hesitate to contact her virtually worldwide.
Email:
joa@joafitness.com