Neck pain can be suffered by everyone. Babies, children and adults can all experience neck pain. The aching, burning, stiff, tired and sharp sensation in the neck can impair you from accomplishing daily activities and make you miserable all day and night.
Neck pain has many causes. Some of the more reasons for neck pain are weak neck muscles that support the spine, bad posture, pent up tension, awkward sleep positions, slumping over a computer chair and whiplash and other traumatic injuries that affect the neck. Age can also be a factor for neck pain as rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease; all age-related conditions can cause neck pain.
Treatment for neck pain comes in many forms. Most people, however, use over the counter pain (OTC) medications including anti–inflammatory drugs (naproxen aspirin ibuprofen and acetaminophen among others) to control the pain. All these particular medications and prescription analgesics do have negative side effects such as dangerous interactions with other drugs, addiction, ulcers, stomach bleeding and liver and kidney damage.
Medicines are hardly the sole means to treat neck pain. Other alternative non pharmaceutical medicine treatments that address neck pain are available although rarely heard or advertised in the media. Some of these treatments include exercises, herbal remedies, acupuncture, chiropractics and massage therapy.
Massage or sometimes known as physiotherapy improves the blood circulation, assuages accumulated tension, and releases the body’s natural pain-killers called endorphins to treat neck pain. A massage that relieves neck pain is usually performed by a licensed physiotherapist. To be on the safe side people with blood clots, ulcers or cancer and pregnant women should consult with their doctor before going for a massage.
Chiropractors practice neck manipulation to help address spinal problems. This kind of treatment should only be done by a licensed and well trained chiropractor since neck manipulation can potentially be a risky treatment if done by an unqualified, inexperienced chiropractor.
Acupuncture Overland Park is an ancient Chinese modality that is thousands of years old. Acupuncture involves the use of needles inserted at particular sites in the body to better blood and energy circulation and to stimulate the production and release of endorphins. As with chiropractics, a person should only seek treatment from a licensed and well-trained acupuncturist for neck pain relief. Some minimal bleeding, soreness and light bruising may occur during treatment but no major negative side effects occur during acupuncture treatment.
Exercises that are not so strenuous like yoga and tai chi do greatly improve the condition of the person. Exercises can strengthen the midsection muscles, improve posture and relax tension in the neck and back area.
Herbs that soothe the body like menthol and camphor are great muscle relaxants and are usually topically applied to the affected area in the neck producing an analgesic effect to the neck.