Are You Making Your Neck Pain Worse?
By Sara Butler
If you suffer from neck pain, you’ve probably gotten a lot of unsolicited advice about how to treat it from well-meaning friends, coworkers, and family. While their hearts are in the right place, there’s a good chance that their suggestions will only make your neck pain worse. Here are a few of the most common ways the chiropractors at The Joint see patients making their neck pain worse.
Applying Heat
In theory, heat sounds soothing. But the problem is that heat applied to a new injury or sudden pain will only make it worse. That’s because inflammation is exacerbated by heat since it increases the blood flow to the area, which will make swelling worse.
Heat should only be used after the first day or two of a new injury or if you have a chronic neck problem with achiness or stiffness. In the meantime, stick to ice for new or sudden pain or injury!
Ignoring Pain
Pain is a signal from your body that something is amiss. When you ignore that signal, then you may be setting yourself up for bigger, more painful problems in the future. It’s not uncommon for pain to come and go, but if it gradually gets worse over time, that’s certainly not something to ignore.
Remember, your chiropractor is an expert in body mechanics. Joint dysfunction for restriction often manifests as pain, so get it checked out to find the cause behind it instead of just ignoring it.
Stopping Activities
Resting when you're experiencing pain in the neck is fine, but remaining inactive for a long time will eventually make your pain worse. The muscles in your neck are flexible and strong. Gentle stretching can help your body to heal faster, reducing your chances in the future of injuries if you work to keep them flexible and strong. If you stop activity due to pain, you aren’t doing yourself any favors and you certainly won’t magically heal the root of the issue.
The chiropractors at The Joint see numerous cases of neck pain every year. The rise in the use of smartphones and tablets hasn’t helped, either. So if you’ve experiencing neck pain, then you need to have a chiropractor look you over and help you uncover why your pain is there and what you can do to fix it.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Las Vegas, Nev.