Struggling With Neck and Spine Problems? Here’s What To Do
Spine and neck problems can make one’s life very difficult. Not only can they restrict one’s activity, but they can also be persistent and can make completing daily chores impossible. Spine and neck-related problems can be easily resolved if you act fast. If you do not find treatment quickly, however, then they can get worse and be harder to treat.
If you are suffering from spine and neck problems, then this post is going to change that. Here’s what you need to do to improve your symptoms and reclaim your life:
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Receiving Diagnosis
If you are suffering from spine and neck problems, the first thing that you need to do is to go get a formal diagnosis from a physician or chiropractor. Once you know exactly what’s wrong with you, you will be able to work out an effective treatment program. It could be that you are suffering from a degenerative condition, like spondylosis, that requires very specific treatments. If you don’t get a diagnosis, then you won’t be able to get the specific treatment your condition calls for. This could result in your symptoms worsening.
Symptom Journal
Before you have received a diagnosis or treatment, it’s a good idea to keep a symptom journal. This is so that when you do speak to a specialist, it will make their job easier. Sometimes diagnosing spinal and neck-related problems can be extremely difficult, because many conditions manifest with the same symptoms. A symptom journal should help the specialist that you are working with to achieve your diagnosis in ascertaining exactly what condition you are suffering from. If you don’t have a symptom journal to give them, then they will have to work a lot harder to give you an answer.
Neck-support Chair
When you begin suffering from back and neck problems, one of the worst things that you can do is sit in chairs without support. For your own comfort, you should invest in a back and neck support chair. These chairs are specially designed to provide support to people’s necks and backs. While it’s unlikely a neck-support chair will totally eliminate your symptoms and cure you of them, they can still provide comfort and help you to manage your life with them. These chairs are especially useful if you work from home or enjoy gaming.
Water Pillow
People that suffer from chronic neck and back pain often find that they can’t sleep. This is because their constant pain and discomfort make sleep impossible. When they do manage to sleep, they wake up feeling worse than they did when they got into bed. There is no cure-all pillow that can alleviate chronic pain, but water pillows can be reasonably effective. You can adjust the firmness of your water pillow by changing the amount of water that’s inside it. Adjusting it according to what you find comfortable will make it easier for you to get a good night’s rest.
Posture Correction
Sometimes, the cause of chronic back and neck pain is related to the patient’s posture. Bad posture is very common nowadays. Several decades ago, children were taught proper posture from an early age and therefore never developed spine or neck problems in later life. Sadly, this is no longer the case. Children spend most of their days playing video games and hunched over chairs. This inevitably leads to bad posture. Posture correction therapy can help to correct the way that you sit and stand, straighten your back, and therefore treat your symptoms. You can even perform posture correction techniques at home– you don’t have to go into a proper clinic.
Physical Therapist
A physical therapist is a great person to work with when you are suffering from spine and neck problems, although they can be expensive. If you have medical insurance, then a trip to a physical therapist will be covered. Physical therapists specialize in improving muscular problems. A physical therapist will be able to work with you to devise an effective plan for treating your problems (and getting to the root of them if you haven’t yet received a formal diagnosis). Physical therapists can also help you to improve your posture if you feel that’s something that needs to be done. If you don’t work at improving your symptoms, you could become disabled.
Regular Swimming
Swimming is a low-impact exercise that’s great for people suffering from back and neck problems. If you have been suffering from them and haven’t been able to exercise the way that you ordinarily would, then swimming is something to consider. The best part about swimming is that it’s very cheap to do. You can access many swimming pools on day memberships, or you can buy a subscription. Alternatively, if you live in a place that has rivers or the sea nearby, then you can go there (as long as you do so safely and wear the necessary protective equipment).
Mindful Meditation
Meditation is a good way of learning to breathe properly and relax. Meditation can also help to ease stress, which is sometimes a cause of back and neck problems. Controlled breathing exercises can be an effective treatment for pain because they involve visualizing one’s pain leaving the body. Scientists have actually found that they work to a degree and are effective for temporarily removing pain. You don’t have to go to any specialist yoga school to learn mindfulness meditation, you can do it from the comfort of your home with the help of YouTube videos.
Stretching Muscles
Make sure that you stretch your muscles before performing any form of exercise. Muscle stretching is an extremely effective way of warming up your muscles so that they can withstand and endure long periods of exercise. The cause of back and neck pain can sometimes be related to a lack of stretching prior to exercise. If you aren’t sure how to stretch properly, then they are myriad videos on YouTube that display exactly how you should. You could also consider taking online yoga classes prior to (and after) periods of exercise.
Spinal and neck-related problems can ruin one’s life. If they aren’t treated effectively, then they can go on to get much worse. The only way to receive diagnosis and treatment is to go and see a physical therapist or specialist for neck and back problems. The suggestions outlined in this post can make your symptoms less severe, but won’t cure them.
