Woke Up with Neck Pain? These 8 Tips Can Help!
There isn’t a worse way to start the day
than with neck pain. It doesn’t matter whether it is a long-lasting
consistent pain or a temporary problem that occurs only on certain
mornings, the oppressive feeling it creates often interferes with the
course of our day. Not everyone has time to go for a chiropractic
massage to relieve this neck pain, but there are definitely some things
you can do in the morning or before bedtime to avoid them. Dr. Brent
Wells is a chiropractor from Alaska who has been practicing for over 20
years and has helped more than 10,000 people live without neck pain
without medication. Today, he shares eight ways to avoid neck aches that
attack you during sleep and the morning after.
1. Get out off bed using a neck-healthy
method
In the first few seconds of the morning, you may be awake, but your body
is still in sleep. When you get out of bed it is more rigid and
heavier, and what you want to prevent is putting extra pressure on your
neck. So, try to get out of bed in the following way:
Turn around to lie with your head toward the edge of the bed.
Place your elbow near the edge of the bed on the mattress.
Place your hands together in front of your face, and push yourself
into a sitting position with them - use your elbow on the mattress.
This will help you get rid of neck pain created during sleep in the
first few seconds of the morning.
2. Take a hot shower
Let warm water flow around your neck, stimulate you and soothe the
muscles of the area. If you have some time, you can also make yourself a
pampering bath into which you will put a few drops of essential oil.
Another thing you can do is simply use warm compresses soaked in apple
cider vinegar, warm water or a few drops of essential oil on your neck.
3. Check if you have respiratory or sinus
problems
If you can’t breathe properly during sleep, you’ll probably find
yourself in different positions throughout the night that actually make
breathing easier, however, they can cause you to suffer from neck pain.
See a doctor to find a better solution to the problem or, if you have a
cold, try massaging these 4 pressure points to treat a blocked nose. see the next post
4. Loosen neck muscles with stretching
Just like a cat that wakes up from sleep
and immediately stretches its body, you too have to stretch your body
after a long night of lying on the mattress. Tension helps remind
muscles and joints to move and that it's okay - especially if they feel
tight and have trouble moving. Click here to learn 5 stretching
exercises that will ease and treat your neck pain.- view in next post
5. Remind your body to loosen up and relax
When pain starts, we sometimes contract our bodies in an attempt to
avoid it, and it does help a little, however, at the same time, it
causes the muscles and joints to contract unnaturally, which will
eventually increase and worsen the pain. So, try to relax the body
consciously - lean back, breathe slowly and release every part of the
body slowly. Release the muscles along your back to your neck and let
your body begin the day in a calmer and more relaxed way.
6. Pick the right pillow
When you sleep, your body should be straight from head to toe. If you
sleep on your side, choose a pillow that isn’t too thin nor too thick -
one that will be conducive to keeping your head and neck in a straight
line with your spine. If you sleep on an adjustable bed, avoid raising
your legs or head when sleeping on your side.
7. Check your posture before bedtime
If you lie in bed reading a book before bed, make sure your eyes can
look at it without straining. If you feel that you need to make an
effort, your neck will probably suffer from stress as a result. In
addition, the neck should not be pushed forward by anything, but rather
laid in a way that does not interfere and interrupts its natural and
continuous connection to the spine. This is also true when you watch TV
or use a smartphone in bed.
8. Use an alarm clock with soothing sounds
You probably chose your favorite ringtone to wake you up in the morning,
and you may have your alarm on full volume because that’s the only way
you’ll get up and not ignore it, but if you sometimes wake up in panic,
something needs to be changed. When you wake up in a panic you may make
very sharp movements that increase the pain that is generated during the
night in the neck. Therefore, you may want to choose a more relaxed
ringtone or download an app that increases the frequency of the alarm
clock slowly and doesn’t play it loudly from the start. Remember, no one
likes to be jostled out of sleep!