3 All-Natural Methods for Treating Neck Pain

Neck pain can significantly disrupt your life and make it difficult — if not impossible at times — to do normal, everyday tasks. While neck pain may go away on its own, almost 50% of people who experience neck pain find that it returns either sporadically or as a chronic condition.

If you’re suffering from neck pain, you don’t necessarily have to rely on pain medicine or turn to surgery. There are all-natural methods for treating neck pain that can help you feel better quickly and prevent more strain or injury.

If neck pain recurs or persists, seek help from a qualified medical professional at an integrative medical clinic such as BodyWorks Medical Center.

Natural treatment for neck pain from a bad sleep position

Massage therapy is a non-invasive, gentle way relieve neck tension and pain. It is particularly effective when used for patients whose neck pain can be clearly identified as connected to a specific recurring incident, such as bad sleeping positions.

If you sleep on your stomach or with your neck propped at an acute angle, you may awaken to a painful surprise in the morning, and the neck pain may last throughout the day. If you have neck pain that you think is the result of sleeping with your neck at an uncomfortable angle, contact us at BodyWorks Medical Center for treatment and prevent a recurrence with a neck support while you sleep.

A qualified therapist from Bodyworks can help you identify sore areas and apply gentle massage therapy.

A soft curved pillow or bolster shaped pillow that conforms to the natural curvature of your neck and the back of your skull can support your neck naturally, and sleeping on your back or side can help you position your neck at a natural, comfortable angle so you wake up well-rested and pain-free.

Use a rice-filled sock, lightly heated in a microwave and wrapped in a hot, wet towel, to create a flexible neck “pillow” that delivers moist heat to the pain point and allows your neck muscles to relax.

Natural treatment for neck pain from poor posture

Sitting staring at a screen that’s at a low height in relation to your eye level (such as a poorly situated desktop screen, a laptop, or a handheld device like a phone or tablet) can cause significant and chronic neck pain. If you think your neck pain is posture-related, ask your BodyWorks medical professional to help identify neck positions that are most likely to prevent discomfort.

Raising the screen to eye level and straightening your back, shoulders, and neck can help ease neck pain from poor posture by removing the cause of the neck strain. If you need help remembering to keep your neck and back straight, run a strip of kinesiology tape from your hairline down your spine. When you curve your neck or shoulders downward, the tape alerts you to the change in posture so you can correct it.

You can also ease and prevent neck pain from poor posture doing a series of neck rolls and exercises several times a day. Use a slow, controlled motion to stretch tense neck muscles and relieve neck pain. Your BodyWorks chiropractor can help develop a series of stretching and strengthening exercises to both prevent and treat neck pain long-term.

Natural treatment for neck pain from aging

If you are over 40 and have started to notice neck pain, it could be the result of cervical disc degeneration (spondylosis). The gradual degeneration of the discs between the bones of your cervical spine (the part of the spine that extends up the back of your neck) can cause nerves to feel pinched and muscles to spasm.

A soft neck brace known as a soft collar naturally eases neck pain from spondylosis, but you should only wear it for short periods of time. Continual use allows your neck muscles to weaken. You may also be a candidate for ultrasound therapy at BodyWorks to relieve your neck pain.

If you have neck pain that is ongoing, causes you so much pain you cannot sleep even with over-the-counter pain relief, or that prevents you from turning your head to one side or the other, seek professional help. Physical rehabilitation at BodyWorks can help you regain mobility in your neck and reduce your pain symptoms.

Contact Bodyworks Medical Center and let our experienced team of integrated medicine professionals figure out what is causing your neck pain and how to effectively treat it.