As you age, your body changes. How you sleep and move around can also change—and that can lead to pain. To help you prevent pain in your upper cervical region, we have gathered a few helpful tips to care for your neck as you age. 

#1. Do regular breathing exercises

Breathing exercises are essential for the relief of chronic neck pain. Deep breathing can be used as a gentle form of exercise, which may increase lung capacity and improve posture. To practice this technique: 

• Gently raise your shoulders to your ears and hold them there for a few seconds. 
• Slowly lower your shoulders back down to their normal position while inhaling deeply through the nose until you feel like you're filling up from the bottom to top with air, allowing it to fill all areas of the lungs (including any tight spots). 
• Repeat this cycle at least three times in a row, then relax again.

Doing the series of movements above will help expand the chest cavity and open up any tight muscles around it—which reduces stress on the body overall! You should feel refreshed after doing this exercise!

#2. Patch up your mattress

Your mattress may not be comfortable if it's old, lumpy, or worn out—all of which can cause problems with your posture and aggravate existing neck pain issues. If this sounds like something you're facing, consider getting a new mattress!

#3. Live an active lifestyle

Stay active throughout the day by walking or doing light exercises around the house. This will help keep your joints limber and prevent stiffness that can lead to pain later in life. Do this several times throughout the day to help retrain the muscles of your neck, chest, and upper back to work more efficiently together (and avoid future pain).

#4. Invest in good pillows

Some people like soft pillows. Others prefer firmer ones. But if you're looking for a pillow that will provide relief from neck pain and other symptoms of aging, a firm pillow may be your best bet. This type of pillow will support your neck while sleeping, so it won't have to work as hard to keep your head in place while resting on a flat surface like a mattress or floorboards. In addition, don't rely on a single pillow—or even two pillows—when sleeping at night. Instead, use three or more pillows to support each part of your head adequately. This will help reduce pressure points on your head and neck as well as prevent them from shifting during sleep.

#5. Get regular upper cervical adjustments

If you're looking for a way to significantly lessen neck pain as you age, look no further than upper cervical adjustments. These adjustments help manage neck pain by addressing any misalignment in your upper cervical spine, reducing recurrence, even as you age.

Upper cervical care is unique because it focuses on the atlas (the topmost vertebra in the spine), which is where the nerves that control your face and eyes run through. When this area gets misaligned, it can cause pressure on the spinal cord and cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, and other chronic pains and symptoms like neck pain. By adjusting the atlas back into place, chiropractors can relieve this pressure and eliminate these symptoms quickly and give long-term relief.

Looking for a credible upper cervical chiropractor for neck pain in your area? Check out Upper Cervical Awareness! Not only does the page have tons of useful resources and articles on chiropractic care, neck pain, and other conditions brought on by spinal misalignments, it also has the mostcomprehensive directory of upper cervical chiropractors in America!

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