Self-Help for Neck Pain

Well, I was minding my own business one morning a couple of weeks ago, when all of a sudden I felt a cramp or spasm happening in my right shoulder, resulting in the feeling of having a crick in my neck!

Usually when that has happened, it’s something I’ve woken up with and I assumed that I had slept wrong.

Well, not this time.  I wasn’t doing anything when it just … happened!

So, you know me, I began to scour the Internet for self-help measures, when to see the doctor, that sort of thing.

I knew from a recent back spasm to begin taking Advil, so I did that.  And it helped some, but not enough.

Long story short… I used my pain creams, a Q-Flex massager thing (which I like), was on the Advil, got an electric shoulder and neck wrap, and assumed it would be gone after about a week.

But after 2 weeks, and it hadn’t gone away, I went searching for more answers.

I finally found it in a simple stretching exercise:

You bend your head over to where your ear touches (or tries to touch) your shoulder.  You even push on your head to get it down further with your hand.  Then you hold it there for 30 seconds. 

I use the timer on my smart phone.  Really.  Otherwise I wouldn’t do it long enough.

Then you repeat on the other side.  (I usually pull my head back up with my hand, just to help my neck out.)

I still do it a few times a day.  (My neck tends to freeze up a little extra when I work at the computer since the incident.)  But it’s so simple to do, it's no big deal.

And there’s no expense or equipment involved, so you can do it whenever or wherever you need to!  Isn’t that nice for a change?!?

Anyway, it has really helped me and I hope it helps you and yours, if you ever need it. 

XOXO,

Lucky Dog

♥