If you’re suffering with neck pain, and neck pain at home then you’re not alone
It’s estimated that one out of three adults will experience neck pain at least once in their lives. Although this usually eases on its own, the discomfort can be difficult to deal with. Certain cases may also lead to stiffness in the neck and shoulders, as well as neck related headaches.
Sitting still for long hours can be uncomfortable, especially if you’re sitting with bad posture. This is because their static position places increasing stress on the back, neck, and shoulder muscles. Therefore, if you’re working at home, it’s worth remembering to take extra measures to protect or relieve their neck muscles.
Below, I’ve listed a few things remote workers can do to relieve neck pain at home.
Relief
Apply Ice or Heat Higher
Higher or lower temperatures can both help with pain relief. If you want to reduce swelling around your neck, place ice on the affected area for about 15-20 minutes. Alternatively, you can use a heat pack for around the same time to promote blood flow. The improved circulation brings healing nutrients to the muscles, encouraging relaxation.
Try Neck Stretching Routines
You can alleviate simple neck pain by trying out neck stretching routines after work. There are various stretch guides online can show you how to perform stretch routines, step by step. I find these especially helpful when I’m working at home.
Try stretches and yoga poses such as the bridge pose and thread the needle to strengthen your thoracic spine (your middle back) and keep your neck properly supported. Poses that target your upper trapezius, such as clasped neck stretches and the upper trapezius stretch, can also help promote spinal strength and circulation. By engaging in these exercises, you can promote movement around the neck muscles to reduce tightness.
Take Pain Medication
One temporary solution for neck pain is pain relief medication. The over-the-counter medicine acetaminophen (such as Panadol or Tylenol) can help to manage neck pain by inhibiting the transmission of pain signals. You can also try non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like naproxen and ibuprofen, which can reduce swelling around affected areas.
Prevention
Create an Ergonomic Workspace
Awkward postures are one of the biggest culprits when it comes to neck pain at home. Therefore, you need to make sure your workplace itself encourages good posture. Chiropractors recommend keeping your eyes in line with the computer screen to discourage slouching or bending your neck. You can place books under your laptop to raise it up to eye level.
Moreover, you can use standing desk converters to encourage more movement in the workplace. Using a standing desk converter, you can alternate between sitting and standing as you work, thus reducing the strain prolonged sitting places on your neck.
Sleep in The Right Position
If awkward postures at work contribute to neck pain, so do awkward postures during sleep. Sleeping on your stomach, for example, places your neck at an awkward angle, which increases musculoskeletal strain around that area. If you find it difficult to switch up your sleeping position, use a soft or thin pillow to keep your neck at a natural angle. Otherwise, sleep on your back.
When you sleep on your back, the neck, spine, and head are all rested at a neutral position, which thus reduces instances of both neck and back pain.
There are ways we can look after ourselves, whether working in the office or at home.
Proper posture at work and sleep can reduce risks, while existing neck pain can be easily treated using ice, heat, medications, and stretches.
If you’d like to find out more about chiropractic treatment and advice for neck pain then check out these blogs. They’ve been written by the team at www.BackBlog.co.uk, sharing some chiropractic tips:
Advice/self-help for neck pain and headaches
https://backblog.co.uk/health-and-advice/top-ten-postureandbody-sins/
Posture advice when working on a laptop.
Exclusively prepared for backblog.co.uk
by James Revell
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