Did you hurt your neck while having too much fun at the amusement park? Did you go overboard in your Yoga class and end up with a pinched nerve along your lower back, leg, and toes? Have you canceled so many plans with your family and friends because your nerve pain persists despite trying various remedies?

It can be pretty frustrating to go back and forth with nerve pain. Thankfully, you can address your concerns with the help of simple and natural remedies like hot and cold therapy. You must also look into correcting an atlas subluxation with the help of Upper Cervical Chiropractic. Learn more about these three options to combat your pinched nerve symptoms as you read on.

Hot or Cold Therapy: What’s The Best Option for Compressed Nerve Roots

If you love taking advantage of home remedies for pain, chances are you have already explored hot and cold therapy. After all, it’s an old-school remedy that can provide significant relief, especially for mild symptoms. But have you ever wondered which of the two works best in alleviating searing or shocking nerve pain?

According to many patients, cold compress or ice packs work wonders for cases with visible inflammation. Here are a few reasons why this happens:

• Cold temperature constricts the blood vessels in the exposed area, reducing blood flow and improving the sore and tight feeling you experience.
• Ice therapy also comes in handy in reducing nerve activity, especially in areas affected by the compression problem. 
• A cold compress or ice pack can lower skin temperature, increasing cell resiliency (this plays a role in tissue repair and helps the body cope with stress caused by injuries).

As a rule of thumb, use cold packs to help ease your symptoms in the earlier days or weeks. Doing so can help diminish the discomfort you experience. After the searing, burning, or shooting sensation gradually subsides, and the soreness visibly improves, you can apply heat using a hot compress or spend a few minutes in a hot tub. 

Heat can help heal nerve pain in several ways. For example, it can speed up tissue healing along damaged body parts after a traumatic injury. Additionally, it can have a soothing effect if you no longer have pain and tenderness.  

Go Beyond Hot and Cold Therapy for Nerve Pain Relief

While cold and heat can work wonders for your nerve compression pain, sometimes you’re better off addressing the most likely root cause of your symptom: an atlas subluxation.

Have you experienced falling off a bike or getting injured in the neck or head during a brawl? Are you an athlete who frequently suffers from a concussion or whiplash during training? Did you serve in the military and suffer from neck or head trauma? 

If you’ve tried countless remedies for pinched or compressed nerves before but saw little to no improvements, it might be best to have your atlas and axis bones checked by an Upper Cervical doctor.

After all, injuries from the past can have long-term impacts on your health, such as compromised posture, nerve compression, recurring headaches, and balance problems. The sooner you can figure out what’s wrong with your atlas and axis bones, the quicker you can restore your body’s homeostasis and improve your general well-being.

Resolve Atlas Subluxation to Enjoy a Pain-free Life Starting Today!

Nerve compression and atlas subluxation can wreak havoc in your life and health if you don’t act quickly. It’s time to finally break free from the grasp of both conditions with the help of an Upper Cervical doctor. Feel free to use our Upper Cervical doctors’ directory to find the nearest office in your city. This way, you can schedule your appointment and have your neck bones thoroughly assessed by a board-certified NUCCA, Atlas Orthogonal, Orthospinology, Knee-Chest, Blair, Toggle, or EPIC Upper Cervical Chiropractor.