Are You Struggling With Neck Pain?

This week I am talking about neck pain. I know from taking care and meeting many of you that visit Epoch, that neck pain is one of the most common reasons people visit the centre in the first place.

I can really relate to how frustrating it is to have a painful neck. Personally, it is the area that I hold the most tension in my body, and there are times when it can get really uncomfortable, and last week was one of them. There wasn’t a significant moment where I had fallen over or turned my neck incorrectly causing the pain. I had simply woken up, and I could barely turn my head left or right due to the discomfort and restriction in my neck. So, it was time for me to take some of my own advice, and I wanted to share some of this with you, in the hope it may help you if you are currently struggling with neck pain.

The first question I asked was ‘why’. Why had the neck pain come on in the first place?

Well, it would have been easy for me to blame sleeping in a funny position or just simply having bad luck that it had come on, but there is often more to it than that. Being honest with myself, I had felt some grumbles from my neck over the weeks leading up to this day, but as it was not ‘that bad’, I continued doing my thing. With an increased workload causing additional stress and also pushing myself in the gym physically, I had not listened to those signs from my body that it needed some rest, and simply carried on pushing. But our bodies have a great way of stopping when we don’t listen, and that can often be in the form of pain which forces us to stop and listen.

Then it was time to take my own advice. Here are the steps I took…

1. Got adjusted. Ensuring my spine and nervous system was working at its best to help deal with what was happening was a priority so I got adjusted regularly. Due to the discomfort I was in, these were very gentle adjustments, and I knew they would help speed my recovery.

2. Adapted my routine. Movement and exercise are a huge part of my life as it helps me physically and mentally, and I know many of you can relate. But continuing to lift weights in the gym was not going to help or getting out on my bike. So, I switched to some gentle and low impact cardio work instead, using the cross trainer (keeping my hands static on the bars rather than moving back and forward), and did some bodyweight exercise such as squats and lunges, and lightweight arm exercises (mostly pull movements rather than pushing overhead which would put pressure on my neck). Instead of cycling outside which would cause my neck to go into the forward and flexed position which would put more pressure through the area, I simply went for steady walks.

3. Increased my Omega 3’s. When our body is under stress, and in my case, when a joint is irritated, inflammation increases in our body. I increased my Omega 3 supplements to help reduce the inflammation naturally and assist in the healing process.

4. Took care of what I consumed. Following on from point 2 to help reduce the inflammation in my body and help the healing, I increased my water intake and was strict with what I ate. Water is essential in all processes of our body, including the fluidity of our joints and the health of the discs in our spine. I also ate fresh foods, avoiding the processed and packaged foods. I didn’t want my body to work harder than it needed to by eating foods with high sugar, wheat or dairy content.

5. Applied heat. Whilst at home or out and about I made sure my neck was warm and covered using a buff, and had lots of warm showers. This helped my muscles around the area to relax. Wheat bags or hot water bottles are great for this too.

6. Rested. I am one to be up at the crack of dawn, however where I could, I allowed myself some extra time in bed to help recharge my body, and even took an afternoon nap! It was what my body was asking for so I listened.

7. Less time on devices. It’s easy to get consumed on laptops and phones, but I knew this really was not going to help the situation. If I did use my devices, I ensured they were elevated so I was not looking down causing additional pressure on my neck, and reduced my screen time significantly so I wasn’t stuck in one position for too long.

If you are struggling with something, whether it is your neck or another area of your body, I would highly recommend paying attention to it sooner rather than later, and if the advice I provided still doesn’t alleviate the discomfort, I would recommend consulting with a professional such as your local chiropractor or GP who will be able to guide you appropriately.

With love,
Sarah