Relieve Neck Pain With Chiropractic and Stretches
By Sandy Schroeder
When you wake up with a stiff neck that refuses to go away, it's tempting to just roll over and wait for it to go away. Of course, reality says you have to get up and soldier on, hoping a hot shower or an over-the-counter painkiller will muffle the pain.
If you can relate, you may need a two-pronged approach, letting your chiropractor and some simple stretches coax your neck back to normal.
See Your Chiropractor
The Joint Chiropractic clinic in your community staffs a wellness center with doctors of chiropractic who help people find natural answers for pain without prescription medications or surgery.
Stop by and talk about your neck pain with your chiropractor. A gentle targeted spinal adjustment may provide far-reaching pain relief and create a new sense of well-being with an assortment of benefits that are unique to the individual. You may find yourself sleeping better, thinking faster, or feeling a lot more relaxed.
You may also decide weekly 15-minute spinal adjustments help to keep your neck happy.
Put Stretches to Work Too
Try a few neck stretches that are named from the way you nod to say "yes" or shake your head to say "no."' This "Yes, No, Maybe, Maybe So" series from WellAndGood.com soothes individual muscle groups in the neck. The stretches will help you ease pain and lengthen the muscles to help you get back to normal.
The "Yes" stretch helps muscles in the back of the neck. Put your hands on the back of the head and lower your chin and move your head forward until the chin meets the chest. Keep shoulders down and use your hands to assist the movement.
The "No" stretch rotates the neck left or right. Focusing on the neck rotators in the side and back of the neck, look straight ahead and turn the head to the right until your chin is over your shoulder. Reach up with the right hand and pull the chin further to the right. Keep the shoulders down, and repeat with the left side.
The "Maybe" stretch helps the muscle on the front and side of the neck. Move the left ear down to the shoulder. With the left hand, reach up to the temple and move the head further to the shoulder.
The "Maybe So" stretch helps the oblique extensors. These are the muscles along the back of the neck that extend from the skull down to the rear shoulder. Turn the head right to a 45-degree angle and move your head forward moving your ear toward your chest. Use your left hand to move the head down to complete the movement. Repeat on the reverse side.
Stop by The Joint Chiropractic clinic near you to find the pain relief that you need. No reservations are needed. Clinics are open weekends and evenings. Affordable personal healthcare plans eliminate the hassle of insurance.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Atlanta, Ga.