3 Big Tips To Reduce Your Shoulder & Neck Pain

back pain treatment, holistic pain management, migraine, Migraine headache, neck pain, pain clinic, Pain management, pain rehabilitation, pain relief, physical migraine treatment

Number 1) Quit Planking

There is no question that one can learn to plank and crunch in a way that is not harmful to the shoulders and neck, but that’s a whopper topic in and of itself that very few of us have the time and energy for. Planking and similar exercises like crunches involve an immense exertion of trunk strength, causing almost everybody to clench their shoulder and neck muscles. Excessive planking like this is risky for the lower spine. It is great to be able to work on your abs, and there’s no question that planking and crunches increase tone in the front of the abdominal wall, but the question is at what cost. Due to the amount of effort required in holding a plank, combined with our strong tendency to clench our neck and shoulders when exercising, it is almost a universal tendency to compress the delicate joints of the neck and compress the rotator cuff during trunk flexion exercises. This is a major cause of shoulder pain and neck pain. 

If you are determined to have great abs but not to live with neck and shoulder pain, it is worth considering very gentle crunches with a small range of motion. Be sure to keep your chin on your chest and the tips of your shoulders down; you will be able to work on your abs without inflaming or aggravating your neck pain and shoulder pain tendencies. If you want to take this to black belt level, gently activate your pelvic floor the whole time you do the exercise; that way, your true core is activated too.

Number 2) Meditate

The most common cause of neck and shoulder pain is not whiplash injuries, and it’s not bad posture. The most common cause of stubborn neck and shoulder pain is persistent stress and mental overstimulation, which causes chronic tension and chronic clenching in the shoulder, neck and jaw muscles. Without realizing it, almost all of us tend to clench our neck and shoulder muscles when stressed or even when we are busy. The big challenge is that we do it unconsciously and are unaware that we do it. This means that the busyness and stress of life can translate into neck and shoulder pain without us even realizing it’s happening.

The easiest way to manage stress and chronic pains of muscle tension are to get out in front of them and meditate, particularly in the morning. If you are committed to getting rid of neck pain, shoulder pain and perhaps even headaches in the long term, get up 20 minutes earlier and do a guided meditation each morning. I promise you that if you persist with this habit, you will see a change in your happiness and a reduction in your pain. It can be frustrating to learn that there isn’t a magic bullet that can resolve your pain and neck pain in the long term. But once we move past that frustration and accept that we can just chip away at these things, it isn’t so bad. Also, there is a significant opportunity to become happier and healthier along the way, and we must work at it.

back pain treatment, holistic pain management, migraine, Migraine headache, neck pain, pain clinic, Pain management, pain rehabilitation, pain relief, physical migraine treatment

Number 2) Meditate

The most common cause of neck and shoulder pain is not whiplash injuries, and it’s not bad posture. The most common cause of stubborn neck and shoulder pain is persistent stress and mental overstimulation, which causes chronic tension and chronic clenching in the shoulder, neck and jaw muscles. Without realizing it, almost all of us tend to clench our neck and shoulder muscles when stressed or even when we are busy. The big challenge is that we do it unconsciously and are unaware that we do it. This means that the busyness and stress of life can translate into neck and shoulder pain without us even realizing it’s happening.

The easiest way to manage stress and chronic pains of muscle tension are to get out in front of them and meditate, particularly in the morning. If you are committed to getting rid of neck pain, shoulder pain and perhaps even headaches in the long term, get up 20 minutes earlier and do a guided meditation each morning. I promise you that if you persist with this habit, you will see a change in your happiness and a reduction in your pain. It can be frustrating to learn that there isn’t a magic bullet that can resolve your pain and neck pain in the long term. But once we move past that frustration and accept that we can just chip away at these things, it isn’t so bad. Also, there is a significant opportunity to become happier and healthier along the way, and we must work at it.

Number 3) Rehab

Many people suffer from neck and shoulder pain in our society, yet only a tiny percentage of us seek treatment each year. A recent study found between 30-50% of us will experience neck pain in any given year. Out of all 291 conditions studied in the Global Burden of Disease 2010 study, neck pain ranked 4th highest in terms of disability. If you went back to the 1600s and you asked almost anyone on the street, they would report that they had dental pain, and very few would have received any real treatment. Similarly, today we just put up with neck pain and shoulder pain. This is partly because we just aren’t sure what to do about it, much like people didn’t know what to do about tooth pain in the 1600s or even what caused it. The invitation here is to view your neck and shoulder pain like any dental pain you get and seek professional help for it with great urgency.

For most people, receiving treatment for neck and shoulder pain is the first step toward resolving pain in the long term. Admittedly, you may need to try out a few different practitioners before you find someone who can help you with neck and shoulder pain effectively, but it will be well worth the effort. Most neck and shoulder pain cases are at least partly underpinned by stubborn scar-like changes in the soft tissues, inflammation and locking of the spinal joints. The resolution of these changes in the neck and healing of these soft tissues is the cornerstone of resolving neck pain and shoulder pain. Then once you are comfortable, there are plenty of self-care options like those above, which will assist with the longer term.

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