Do’s and Don’ts When Managing Your Neck Pain in Colorado Springs CO

People suffering from neck pain in Colorado Springs CO know how uncomfortable it can be and how it significantly affects your movement. Perhaps your neck is one of the most underappreciated parts of your body until you realize how important it is, especially in supporting the movement of your head. Waking up with stiff neck or neck pain can signify a challenging day, at least physically, with no certainty when the normal function can return.

Fortunately, most cases of neck pain do not warrant emergency care. These include those that stem from poor lifestyle choices and minor injuries. If you think your symptom doesn’t require urgent medical attention, following our lists of do’s and don’t for neck pain relief might come in handy for you.

What to do in Colorado Springs CO

1. Keep the neck in a neutral position during sleep. You can ensure that your neck is in a neutral position when you sleep on your back and side and with proper support from your pillow. When you sleep on your stomach, it can lead to waking up with a stiff neck. Sleeping face down in bed doesn’t allow the natural posture of our heads throughout the night, leading us into creases and tension at their worst possible times! Sleeping upright allows for better breathability and an opportunity to maintain good health by keeping one’s head correctly oriented while asleep.

2. Keep proper posture. When working at a desk, ensure not to hunch your shoulders or adopt an unhealthy forward head position. One easy way is by keeping your computer monitors at eye level and using ergonomic chairs with enough lumbar support for the best possible results.

In addition, allotting time to stretch regularly between your shifts can help awaken and engage sleeping and dormant muscles and relieve stress and pressure in your overused muscles. Ensuring your neck and back are in a neutral position during your daily commute may also help reduce neck pain.

3. Take breaks from looking down at your smartphone. The habit of constantly looking down at your smartphone has been linked to a number of serious health problems, including tech neck. Your head weighs about 10-12 pounds, and when you bend and look down at a 15-degree angle, the head becomes 27 pounds, putting more pressure on the neck. If you’re spending extended hours each day with eyes glued downward, then this could lead to unwanted neck pain. Taking breaks from your device once in a while or making sure you look at the screen at eye level most of the time can support your efforts for neck pain relief in Colorado Springs CO.

4. Explore Upper Cervical Care.  If making simple adjustments, just don’t cut it, there’s another natural way you can explore for long-term neck pain relief in Colorado Springs, CO. It may be just what you need to reduce and potentially end chronic neck problems significantly. This is especially beneficial for those with a history of head or neck trauma.

If you are dealing with neck pain, in particular, then upper cervical chiropractic care may be the best option for you. This chiropractic care only adjusts the bones in the neck, which are your C1 (atlas) and C2 (axis) vertebrae. With the help of x-rays scans of the C1 and C2 bones, your chiropractor can accurately pinpoint even the slightest misalignments and provide ample chiropractic adjustments to relieve the pressure and pain.

What NOT to do

1. Overload your purse. This is particularly applicable for those using a shoulder bag. If your purse puts a heavy load on one shoulder, there is no balance of the shoulders and spine, leading to strains in the neck. Using a crossbody bag may be more shoulder and neck friendly. It will also help if you carry it as high as possible and ensure you don’t overload it or bring too much stuff at once. If you have to carry more weight, using a backpack with a chest or waist strap may help distribute the weight evenly. Carrying heavy loads for a couple of hours in a day can cause repetitive stress in the body, leading to unwanted pains.

2. Allow yourself to be dehydrated. Staying hydrated is essential for your neck and the surrounding tissues. The spongy discs between the vertebrae that keep them from rubbing together are mostly water. Therefore, staying adequately hydrated is necessary to keep those discs healing and functioning correctly.

3. Use the wrong pillow. Your sleep quality significantly matters in your overall health. Your pillow choice, for instance, directly influences your neck’s comfort during sleep. Depending on your preferred sleep position, you must maintain the natural curve of your neck while sleeping. Back sleepers need a thinner and softer pillow that can conform to the shape of your neck. A firm enough cushion is necessary for side sleepers to support your neck and shoulder. In both cases, you must ensure that your pillows are not propping your head too far from the bed.

4. Ignore your symptoms. If your neck pain persists even after making some changes in your lifestyle or routine, you may feel frustrated and choose to ignore your pain and discomfort until the symptoms go away. However, by doing this, you put yourself at risk of potentially irreparable damage. If your neck pain continues to interfere with your daily life, you may benefit from visiting a chiropractor for neck pain relief in Colorado Springs CO.

Balance Chiropractic, a trusted place for neck pain relief in Colorado Springs CO
Neck pain can be debilitating, especially in severe cases. One thing certain about neck pain is how it makes it hard to focus on anything else once the pain and discomfort set in. When neck pain is left unaddressed, it can lead to other problems that can add more pain and discomfort for your days.

Upper cervical chiropractic care can relieve neck pain caused by a misalignment in the upper cervical spine. Upper cervical chiropractic care is a specially designed chiropractic technique focusing on the top two bones in the neck – the atlas and the axis. These bones are vulnerable to misalignments due to their location and because they support the head, which is heavy. When these bones shift out of alignment, it can lead to different health concerns and cause neck pain.

Upper cervical chiropractors use gentle adjustments to realign these bones, providing significant neck pain relief. Don’t hesitate to contact our office today if you’re looking for neck pain relief in Colorado Springs CO. We would be happy to help you find the proper care you need.

Contact Us

We will ensure to provide you personalized upper cervical care for neck pain under the care of our board-certified chiropractic doctors here at Balance Chiropractic. Every adjustment or manipulation to your vertebra is guaranteed to be safe, gentle, and tailored to fit your needs and efficiently manage your pain and discomfort caused by neck pain. To book your appointment, call (719) 265-0115 or use our contact form.

To schedule a consultation with Balance Chiropractic, call our Colorado Springs office at (719) 265-0115.

If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.