Neck Pain Relief: A Physician’s Guide

Neck pain, although common for men and women to experience throughout their lifetimes, can oftentimes be frustrating. As time goes on, neck pain can be a debilitating condition for patients. Don’t let neck pain to get in the way of you living your life to the fullest. That’s why we put together a physician’s guide to achieving neck pain relief at home.

If home remedies for neck pain aren’t working for you, we encourage you to go see a medical professional like the orthopedic doctors at Advanced Bone & Joint. They’ll be happy to provide you with an accurate diagnosis for your condition and develop a personalized treatment plan to help you get rid of your neck pain once and for all.

What Causes Neck Pain?

Unfortunately, there is no single cause of neck pain. Common causes of neck pain include:

• Muscle strain due to overuse in forward, backward, or tilted positions.
• Worn joints due to aging.
• Nerve compression from herniated discs in the spine or bone spurs in the shoulders.
• Injuries from trauma in events such as car accidents or sports incidents.
• Diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and cancer.

The best way to treat your neck pain is by treating it at its source. This means getting an accurate diagnosis for your neck pain by an orthopedic or medical professional. Once you have your diagnosis, you can work with your provider to develop a treatment plan that works best for you, your individual needs, and your lifestyle.

Tips to Relieve Neck Pain at Home

Our physicians understand that you want to alleviate your neck pain on your own terms and at your convenience. For this reason, we put together four tips to help you relieve your neck pain using home remedies and over-the-counter methods.

1. Do Some Stretching

Light stretching can make all the difference in strengthening the muscles in your neck, so they don’t cause you as much pain in the future. In addition to strengthening the muscles in your neck, stretching can also fight off inflammation that contributes to your pain and discomfort. Our physicians encourage patients to roll their head gently and slowly from side to side in long strides several times every day to get a great stretch in the base of the neck.

2. Use Over-the-Counter Pain Medication as Directed by Your Physician

Never discount the power of over-the-counter pain management medication. That being said, it’s important you talk to your doctor about taking medication properly for long periods of time. They’ll be able to provide you with the right dosage for your body and ensure you’re not taking too much or too little to provide you with the relief you’re looking for.

3. Apply Warm Compresses to the Area

Applying a warm compress to the affected areas can do two things: it can reduce inflammation and improve blood circulation to the treated areas. These two effects work hand-in-hand to reduce chronic neck pain. We encourage patients to apply heat in 15–20-minute increments for the best results.

4. Give Yourself a Massage

Yes, massages can be relaxing – but, they can also work to relieve some of the tension building up in your neck that contributes to neck pain. Ask a friend or family member to gently massage your neck for you, or consider giving yourself a massage using a tennis ball or hard rubber ball as a tool. Just 5-10 minutes each day can make a difference in how you feel.

Neck Pain Doctor Near Me

If you’re looking for a neck pain doctor in your area, consider seeing the expert providers at Advanced Bone & Joint. Our team of orthopedic professionals and pain management specialists are proud to offer comprehensive, individualized care to men and women in St. Peters and Wentzville, MO. In addition to treatment for neck pain, we are proud to offer orthopedic services, sports medicine, and diagnostic imaging.

If you have any questions about the services Advanced Bone & Joint can offer you and your loved ones, we encourage you to give us a call today at (636) 229-4222. To request an appointment with one of our expert providers, please use our convenient online appointment request form.