Many people suffer from neck, shoulder and back pain that significantly impacts their day-to-day life. There are many possible causes for terrible neck, shoulder and back pain, including injury, whiplash, pinched nerve, tendinitis and wear and tear. However, you don’t need to suffer from this pain – there are many things you can start doing to treat this pain. Here are the top 5 things you should consider if you are suffering from neck, shoulder and back pain and treat your aches and pains!
Ice, Then Heat
If you’re experiencing bad neck, shoulder and back pain due to a recent injury or rupture, you may have been told to treat your pain with ice and heat. A combination of ice and heat can work wonders when it comes to treating pain in your joints and muscles. However, you should make sure that you use ice first. Ice alleviates local pain and can slow swelling and inflammation – after 48 hours, it stops working as well. After this time period, you should start applying heat to the area, as it relaxes muscle spasms and increases blood flow to the deep tissue.
Change Your Diet
Sometimes, your diet can contribute to everyday aches and pains – this is particularly true as you age. Certain foods can make your body more inflamed and stressed and make any aches and pains worse. Foods that can cause inflammation include red meat, refined grains, and sugary drinks. Limiting these foods and adding more anti-inflammatory foods into your diet such as leafy greens, berries, fruit, vegetables, and fish are fantastic for reducing inflammation in your body and joints. There are many nutrition hacks for busy people available so you can improve your diet on the go – this will allow you to treat your neck, shoulder and back pain.
Massage
One of the best things you can do to treat neck, shoulder and back pain is to have regular massages. However, you should choose to go to an experienced masseuse, as your friends or family could end up doing more damage. Massage can really help when it comes to treating severe joint pain and can help stretch tight muscles and ligaments. If you believe that your neck, shoulder and back pain is caused by tightness and stress, you should definitely consider investing in massage therapy to treat your pain.
Change Your Daily Routine
One of the main reasons why people suffer from neck, shoulder and back pain is because of their daily routine. The way you stand, walk and sit can all contribute to back, shoulder and neck pain. Changing your posture can make a significant difference when it comes to how much pain you’re in every day. Think about investing in back supports for sitting down during driving and working, and make sure you’re not hunching over tables as this can really agitate your back muscles. You should also take care when lifting objects and use the correct lifting postures to protect your body from further strain. Making these changes is crucial for preventing neck, back and shoulder pain.
Consider Surgical Remedies
Unfortunately, if you have had a serious injury, you may need to consider surgical procedures to alleviate neck, shoulder and back pain. For example, there are certain causes of neck, shoulder and back pain that will require surgery to fix, such as a herniated disc, cervical artery dissection, broken collarbone or shoulder blade, shoulder separation and gallstones. Your doctor will give you choices for different options to treat this pain. However, there are other elective surgeries you might need to consider, such as breast reduction. The weight of large breasts can cause significant back and shoulder pain and can be a significant health problem for many women. Researchers on breast reduction in Manchester have found that patients who opted for surgery experienced significantly less neck, shoulder and back pain than those who did not. If you struggle with chronic pain in these areas, surgical options may be something to consider.
Treating neck, shoulder and back pain can become a lot easier and much more manageable when you know what lifestyle changes and health steps to take. Make sure that you’re treating your pain well, and that you don’t let it get any worse!