By: Dani Stekel DC

Neck pain can be aggravating, and depending on the severity can really make daily tasks…well…”a pain in the neck!” I’ve been a chiropractor in midtown manhattan on west 57st. since 1998, and I’ve seen many patients over the years with neck pain. There are many causes of neck pain. From car accidents, to just waking up with it, nearly everyone will experience at least one episode of neck pain over there lifetime. The good news is that our necks are biomechanically rough and tough.

They can handle some of the most concussive forces and still bounce back from injury. Think about some of the things we do as human beings. Athletics such as boxing, MMA, yoga headstands are just some of the ways we beat up our cervicals. Poor sleep positioning, rollercoaster rides, reading with our heads facing down for hours at a time…I think you get the picture..our necks are built to endure.

But with all that our neck do for us, understand that our necks house and protect our spinal cord leading all the way up in to the base of the brain. Nerve impulses travel at an incredible rate of speed through our spinal cords, and were it not for the vertebrae in our cervicals, there would be nothing to protect the delicate structure of the cord.
So what should a person do when they have minor neck pain? Here are a few ways of helping oneself when experiencing neck pain. Contrary to popular belief, heat is not one of the options. Many people go straight for the hot water shower or some salve that heats up from the pharmacy.

These options may help ease the pain in the moment, but do little to take care of the problem. I recommend to all my patients that they use ice. Ice lowers inflammation in the area which is necessary in the acute phase of any injury. Twenty minutes on, alternating with twenty minutes off is the optimal method. Any more than twenty minutes will cause more swelling.

Another option to do at home is using a rolled up towel instead of a pillow. By sleeping on your back, with a rolled up towel, you allow the muscles which are in spasm to relax, and create a better curve in the neck as you sleep. However if it’s too painful, sleep in any position that brings relief.

Finally, consider a chiropractor for spinal adjustments. The chiropractor will do a through examination to determine the source of your problem, possibly take x-rays to make certain there aren’t any pathological reasons for the problem, also to ensure the integrity of the cervical curve hasn’t been compromised, and to check for any misaligned vertebrae termed subluxations.

One last reason to take radiographic images is to make certain there isn’t any degeneration of the joint spaces between the vertabrae. Your chiropractor will determine if he or she can help you, how long it will take for symptomatic relief care, and to correct the cause of the pain. Following all this, a chiropractic adjustment will be given to you. For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact Stekel Chiropractic 212-581-3331.