Tilted head, curved shoulders, engrossed in your mobile phone? Neck and shoulder pain is meant to arise then.Shoulder pain or neck pain is a very common medical condition. Working long hours on computers and gazing down at smartphones is the most common reason that causes neck pain. Other factors include morning stiffness or any injury. Neck pain or neck injury may also result incervical pain . Whereas, a stiff neck is caused due to the weakening of muscles. This is very much possible due to poor posture.
On the other hand, shoulder involves a larger range of movement and hence is more vulnerable to pain. Some of the factors contributing to shoulder pain are dislocation, joint instability, overexertion,frozen shoulder , etc. Not every pain makes us visit the doctor. However, any pain definitely leads to discomfort. Whatever be the reason, below mentioned tips shall help you take care of your shoulder as well as neck.
1. Time for a new pillow
Using theright pillow is the first small step which goes a long way in eliminating neck and shoulder pain. The general rule says that side sleepers shall opt for a soft pillow and back sleepers should use a firm pillow. Many of us have a habit of using more than one pillow. It is a big NO! One pillow is sufficient to keep your head at a natural angle.2. Correct your sleeping posture
Poor posture is yet another cause. Try to sleep on your back as much as possible. If you are not comfortable with that position & prefer sleeping on side, make sure to use correct pillows. Never sleep on your stomach.A correct posture ensures you have a good night.3. Exercise
Know the right exercise. Aerobic exercise is best and 30-minute cardio is all that you need. Keep moving but avoid jerking. Exercise helps to strengthen the muscles. Take professional help when starting with any exercise. Discontinue exercises that elevate pain, immediately. Your instructor or the fitness trainer will be the right person to make you do cervical spondylosis exercises. Spondylosis is a condition affecting spinal discs. Spondylosis treatment involves the right number of pillows to keep neck aligned and use of medium-firm mattress to support the spine. Few of the easy and safe to do exercises are; neck exercise, shoulder retraction exercise, rotation exercise, cervical exercise, and turtle exercise.4. Stretch but not Stress
Stress leads to tightening of muscles and the most commonly affected muscles are of neck and shoulders. Stretching will help relieve that discomfort. Try rolling your shoulders back and then down, a couple of times. Bend your head, rotate it and bend it sideways. Right stretching helps keep pain at bay. It will also help keep your neck and shoulder muscles strong. Stretching eventually helps in pain management.5. Maintain a healthy lifestyle
Spine has the entire control and charge of carrying your body weight. Your correct and healthy weight will save your spine from any discomfort.Keep healthy meal plans and never overeat. Relax your muscles with the foods high in magnesium. You might not know but there are foods that help lessen the pain and also foods that increase the pain. Thus, choose your diet carefully. Quit bad habits like smoking and drinking and stay hydrated throughout the day.
6. Get a Massage
Massage does wonders for muscle spasms. It helps prevent scar tissue and shall be gentle. A neck belt or a neck massager can help soothe the pain. But a massage combined withultrasound and TENS therapy can make it go away.A healthy tip is to avoid excessive use of the phone. We don’t realize that the time spent on using the phone causes head and neck to bend in a flexed forward position. This position puts too much stress on ligaments, joints, and bones.
Wish you the best of health and zero neck and shoulder pain.