Do you have neck pain? If you do, you are far from alone. This is a very common ailment. In fact, in America more than 2/3 of adults report that they have experienced at least one incident of neck pain in their lives. It’s so easy to strain the neck. You can do it at work, during exercise, even turning over while sleeping.
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.
Many people start with medication. You can find over the counter or prescription medications to manage pain and inflammation. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is commonly used for pain relief. Any non-steroidal anti inflammatory (NSAID) is used to treat both pain and inflammation. If the pain is from a displaced disc in the neck, though, surgery may be required.
The choice of what therapy is best will depend on a lot of different factors, including pain cause, intensity, and duration.
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 blanket term that refers to many different types of treatment. This can include massage, stretching, exercise, and electrical stimulation among other techniques. The therapy will also address risk factors and preventative care.
Don’t assume that alternative therapies are not useful. In fact, a recent European study compared three groups. The group that had Chinese acupuncture ended up with better short- and long-term pain relief than did those who had massage treatment or laser treatment.
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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