How to Get Rid of Neck Pain

Persistent neck pain can be the sign of a serious condition such as disk degeneration. It’s always best to allow a doctor to perform imaging tests such as an MRI and CT scan to determine the exact cause so that they can advise you of the best neck pain treatments to follow. In the interim, while you’re waiting on test results, your doctor may prescribe muscle relaxers for neck pain and/or steroids to help reduce any inflammation they suspect. Additionally, they may encourage you to use a soft cervical collar or neck pain pillows throughout the day to help keep your neck correctly aligned and to relieve some of the stress on your neck and shoulder muscles.

Persistent neck pain can be caused by many things. Conditions such as disk degeneration can result in pinched nerves, bone spurs (which in turn cause narrowing of the spinal cord), etc. In some cases, surgery is required to “repair” disks, remove bone spurs, or correct any other damage to the cervical spine. This is why it is important to see your doctor if you experience persistent neck pain.

While it is important to know if there is any underlying physical damage to your neck or any conditions such as a bone spur protruding into your spinal cord further than what is acceptable as “safe”, persistent neck pain is not always the result of any cervical spine damage. In fact, the pain may simply be a result of the way a person currently sleeps, sits or lack of neck exercise-all these things can cause neck strain and the resulting pain of sore neck muscles.

Using a neck traction pillow or neck roll when you sleep or are laying down watching TV (or whatever) will keep your neck correctly aligned. A traction pillow will also gently cradle your head and keep the weight off your neck, thus reducing strain on neck muscles. Using a travel pillow when you sit will also help keep strain off your neck muscles. Also, following good ergonomic practices for sitting will also be beneficial to your neck.

Yes, there are times when persistent neck pain is caused by an underlying physical condition that needs medical intervention such as neck muscle relaxers, surgery or pain medications, etc. For that reason, it is always best to have chronic neck pain addressed by a physician so that any underlying physical cause can be determined and treated appropriately. However, remember that persistent neck pain can sometimes be caused by physical activities you participate in frequently, or the way you sit or sleep. If this is the case, then you can benefit greatly with some lifestyle changes that include using better ergonomics and the use of neck pain pillows.