How to get over your Neck Pain faster

Besides chiropractic adjustments, there are several things you can do to speed up your healing process from neck pain.

1. Do not sleep on your stomach.
2. Do not sleep on your back or watch television on your back with more than one pillow under your head.
3. If you sleep on your back or side, purchase an orthopedic pillow. We carry these in our office.
4. If you sleep only on your side, purchase a side sleeper pillow. Most department stores carry these.
5. Take Epsom salts baths or showers. 4 cups of Epsom Salts in a hot bath for 20 minutes at least once per week, or 2 cups of Epsom Salts in the bottom of the shower with the shower drain closed at least 3 times per week.
6. Use ice on your neck over the area of pain or wherever your doctor told you to. 20-30 minutes of icing with the thickness of a T-shirt between your skin and the ice, then 30 minutes with the ice in the freezer and then put it back on your back. Repeat this as many times as you possibly can.
7. Let the hot shower hit your neck wherever the pain is.
8. Most people’s neck problems are worsened by adding a heating pad to the area of pain, but there are some people it will help. Unless you know ice aggravates your neck, try ice first and see how it feels an hour or two after the ice is off. Heat always feels better at the time of application, but ice is usually preferred and will make your neck feel better an hour or two after its application. Everyone is an individual case though.

Tip: If you are cold natured, put a heating pad on your lap or stomach while the ice is on your neck. We have really nice cherry pit heat/cold packs available for purchase. They can be put in the freezer or microwave.
9. Take magnesium. Magnesium is nature’s muscle relaxer. There is a handout with questions on it to determine if you are low in magnesium. Magnesium is also nature’s beta blocker, nature’s calcium channel blocker and nature’s insomnia cure. We carry several types of magnesium in our office.