Neck pain is a very common affliction. More than 2/3 of adults in the US report at least one incidence of neck pain in their lives. It is very easy to strain your neck. You can do this at work, during exercise, even when turning over in bed.
It’s so common we even use the experience as a way to characterize someone or something frustrating – your boss or your kids are sometimes “a pain in the neck,” but so is neck pain! It’s miserable, and very common, but also quite treatable.
What to do when you have neck pain? There are a number of options. At home remedies work for some people, but if you need more help you can have physical therapy, alternative treatments, really all kinds of treatments are out there.
Medicine is helpful for many sufferers. Over the counter medications like acetaminophen (Tylenol) help with pain, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) help also to reduce inflammation. On the other hand, if the pain is caused by a displaced cervical disc, then surgery may be needed.
It’s up to you how to treat your neck pain but it requires careful consideration of factors like intensity and duration of pain.
In the case of acute neck pain, or pain that comes on suddenly from accident or injury, doctors recommend resting in bed, using cold therapy (ice pack), and immobilizing the neck via neck brace or collar. This is essentially the opposite of treatment for chronic neck pain, which is typically physical therapy and heat therapy.
Physical therapy is a good choice that will involve addressing cause and prevention as well as remediating pain. The therapist will help with massage or stretching, exercise or electrical stimulation of muscles. But, even more importantly, the client is told about risk factors and preventative care.
Alternative therapies also work very well for some people who prefer not to take prescription drugs or go with traditional therapy. In one recent study from Europe, three treatment groups were compared. The group that received traditional Chinese acupuncture had better short- and long-term pain relief than did the groups receiving laser treatment or massage therapy.
Regardless of your choice of treatment, you need to find a certified professional to provide it. This is important whether you want acupuncture, physical therapy, or massage. If you get someone who doesn’t know what they are doing and performs the treatment wrong, you can be further injured. You may also want to consider combining therapies for better results.
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