If you have neck pain and are waiting to see if it improves, you’ll need to develop a regimen at home to manage your pain and stay functional. Here are some tips for coping with neck pain:
- If you develop arm weakness, balance difficulties or incontinence see you doctor or go to the E.R. This may be a sign of spinal cord compression and spine damage.
- If you are early in your course of treatment and your injury is recent, reduce activities that lead to pain.
- Do neck stretches and exercises that your therapist or chiropractor showed you. This will relieve spasm and strengthen the neck to prevent re-injury.
- Use heat to relieve muscle spasms. Hot packs or a hot shower may work just as well. Take advantage of the relaxed spasm and do a stretch after a warm shower.
- Improve your posture at home or in the office. Sit up right with your ears over your shoulder.
- Avoid looking down while excessively texting.
- Position your computer monitor so that you don’t have to look down.
- Sleep with your head aligned to the rest of your spine. Your ears should be over the shoulders and your head should not be tilted up, down or sideways. If sleeping on your side, a pillow that is too small or too large will cause your neck to bend. If sleeping on your back, a pillow that is too small will cause your neck to extend and a pillow that is too large will cause your neck to flex.
