Sometimes, after a long day of working, you may experience tightening of your neck muscles or aching in your neck area after long hours of sitting. Many people are familiar with this feeling. Neck pain has become a common body ache and pain we tend to experience nowadays.
While some neck pain tends to resolve on its own, some people may have it for days or even longer. Regardless, it's normal to want a resolution for the pain and possibly avoid it in the future.
Neck pain is also one of the common complaints by patients heard by doctors. Besides over-the-counter drugs to relieve pain, many patients are looking at remedies that will give long-term relief, such as upper cervical care, or taking more magnesium, whether enhanced in a diet or through supplements.
Magnesium is a mineral that's found naturally in the body. It's responsible for various functions, including muscle and nerve function, blood sugar control, and blood pressure regulation. Magnesium supplements are often taken to reduce symptoms of anxiety and stress, but they can also help manage neck pain. In addition, it's known for its ability to relax muscles and helps control muscle contraction.
Magnesium can help ease neck pain by letting your bones absorb more calcium, and your cells restore themselves. However, low magnesium levels in the body can lead to muscle cramps, headaches, numbness or tingling in the hands, nausea, or even diarrhea.
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Your body uses the mineral magnesium to support nerves and muscle function. There are many sources of magnesium that you can incorporate into your diet, including:
Magnesium supplements may also help you address nutrient deficiencies. But make sure you consult with your doctor first, especially if you're taking other maintenance medication. Besides food sources, soaking in an Epsom salt bath can make your skin absorb magnesium.
Apart from low magnesium levels, your habits also contribute to developing your neck pain. Understanding them can help you take active steps toward avoiding neck pain.
Have you ever heard of the terms tech neck or text neck? It's coined because many people now have smartphones, and looking down while fiddling with your phones has become routine. However, this has become one of the significant contributors to neck and spine issues today. The long hours put excessive strain on your neck, which can lead to your spine shifting because of the abnormal positioning of the cervical spine.
This can also have long-lasting implications as it increases your risk for a herniated disc.
When working on your computers or laptop, it's best to keep them at eye level to keep your neck in a neutral position to avoid pain due to tech neck.
Do you regularly wake up with neck pain? Perhaps your sleeping position puts too much stress on your neck muscles while you sleep. Browsing your phone or watching TV before bedtime may also strain your neck muscles as it puts your neck into a forward bending position.
What is your usual sleeping position? Are you a side, back, or stomach sleeper? Usually, those who sleep on their stomachs tend to put too much stress on the neck, forcing their head to turn to one side for extended hours throughout the night. This can lead to neck pain and stiffness. Your pillow choice matters too. There's a recommended type of pillow, depending on what type of sleeper you are. The most important thing to consider is keeping your neck in its neutral position even during sleep.
Your sitting posture is essential in keeping neck pain at bay. If your job requires you to sit for long hours daily, choose an ergonomic chair or something with a high back and a headrest to let you sit upright in proper posture. A headrest will help keep your cervical spine in a neutral position with your head aligned over your neck. Headrests can be good to use while riding in cars as well.
Staying well hydrated is essential in naturally caring for your spine. Your intervertebral discs, which serve as cushions and protect the spine, are made of 80% water. Age contributes to the drop in the percentage of water in the discs causing their degeneration which can trigger pain. The intervertebral discs need to stay hydrated with enough water to stay healthy. So make sure you drink enough water daily to stay sufficiently hydrated.
Upper cervical chiropractors are trained to get to the root cause of neck pains instead of just addressing the symptoms. Many neck problems are due to a misalignment of the top two bones of your spine, the atlas, and the axis. These bones are crucial as they also support the weight of the head.
Among the vertebrae of the spine, the atlas is the most delicate due to its mobility. It enables the movement of the head in all directions. As a result, it can misalign easily. In addition, repetitive movements, wear and tear, and injuries can result in off-balance of the head. Once this happens, your neck muscles can suffer from strain, joints may endure abnormal stress, or nerve irritation may occur. Misalignments of the atlas and axis can also lead to jaw pain, headaches, earaches, vertigo, and more undesirable health concerns.
Upper cervical adjustments can restore your spine's normal alignment. Through gentle and precise adjustments, your body can heal from neck pain naturally. Upper cervical care can also help resolve conditions connected with your neck pain.
Call a reputable upper cervical chiropractor near you and set an appointment to get started with your upper cervical care—time to replace your pain and discomfort with relief. Call an upper cervical chiropractor today.
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TV show host Montel Williams describes how specific chiropractic care has helped his body.
The content and materials provided in this web site are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to supplement or comprise a medical diagnosis or other professional opinion, or to be used in lieu of a consultation with a physician or competent health care professional for medical diagnosis and/or treatment. All content and materials including research papers, case studies and testimonials summarizing patients' responses to care are intended for educational purposes only and do not imply a guarantee of benefit. Individual results may vary, depending upon several factors including age of the patient, severity of the condition, severity of the spinal injury, and duration of time the condition has been present.
