GPs typically offer painkillers and anti-inflammatory medication to treat the symptoms associated with neck pain such as stiffness, but medication tends to just mask the symptoms and comes with a range of unpleasant side effects. There are a number of alternative treatments that can release trapped nerves in your neck, loosen muscles, reduce inflammation, and improve circulation to the area.
If you'd like to treat your neck pain without drugs, consider these three alternative treatments:
Capsaicin Cream
Capsaicin is the chemical in chilli peppers that gives them their heat. It has anti-inflammatory and natural pain relieving properties when applied topically. It blocks pain signals from your nerves, enabling you to increase the range of movement in your neck without suffering discomfort.
It can also bring down swelling without the side effects of prescription anti-inflammatories such as gastrointestinal upset. Capsaicin cream can be purchased online or from a pharmacy and should be applied sparingly to avoid skin irritation.
Massage
Deep tissue or Swedish massage can be used to loosen tight muscles, release trapped nerves and increase blood flow to your neck. Improving blood flow to your neck aids healing as your blood contains oxygen and nutrients that your muscles can use to repair themselves. Deep tissue massage uses firm strokes and friction to release knotted muscles, but as this type of massage uses more pressure than a Swedish massage, you may find your neck feels a little tender for a day or so after each session.
Swedish massage uses sweeping strokes to boost circulation and relax your neck muscles. It's gentler than deep tissue massage and your therapist will use essential oils, such as lavender or eucalyptus, to promote relaxation and relieve stress.
Chiropractic Adjustment
Chiropractic adjustment has been shown to be an effective treatment for neck pain. Chiropractors use manual adjustments to free trapped nerves and bring your body back into alignment. When your neck muscles tighten, they can pull your vertebrae out of place and leave you with a bulging disc, which prolongs healing time and can cause nerve pain to travel down your back or arms.
Your chiropractor will use a series of hands-on adjustments such as thrusting and stretching to move the disc back into the correct position and loosen your neck muscles, which will restore movement. They can also assess your posture and give you advice on how to maintain a healthy posture in various settings such as when sitting at a desk or driving.
Stretching and strengthening exercises can be used to reduce the chance of neck pain recurring, and your chiropractor can show you safe exercises to do at home.
If you're experiencing neck pain, give these alternative treatments a go. Just remember to make your practitioner aware of any health conditions you have so they can treat you safely.
Share14 August 2015
My kids get really sore backs from all the time they spend sitting down at school at their desk. It's really hard on growing bodies to always be confined like that. I take them to the chiropractor to get regular adjustments, and it really helps relieve their sore their as well as helping them to sleep better at night. I love that they have so much more energy and vitality after their treatments. Our chiropractor is a total genius! This blog is all about how great chiropractic treatment can be for kids and teenagers. It should be really useful for parents and caretakers who want to help their kids.