Neck pain?!
Question: i used to go to a chiropractor (for about 5 years, even when i was pregnant) and now i can't afford it (34$ a session! that's highway robbery) so i stopped going. yesterday my neck and back started killing me and i don't know what to do. it's still hurting but now it's a tiny bit worse. i even got a bad headache from it. can anyone give me some good neck or back exercises?
Answers: i used to go to a chiropractor (for about 5 years, even when i was pregnant) and now i can't afford it (34$ a session! that's highway robbery) so i stopped going. yesterday my neck and back started killing me and i don't know what to do. it's still hurting but now it's a tiny bit worse. i even got a bad headache from it. can anyone give me some good neck or back exercises?
You really DO need to go back to the Chiropractor! I've been going to one for almost 4 years now, and he charges $45.00 per visit, and you know what? That's A WHOLE lot cheaper than a conventional MD who will typically charge $75-$100 per visit, and for what? Give you POISON (a prescription), or "put you under the knife" (surgery), NEITHER of which helps! Chiropractic is FOR LIFE!
You have subluxations (spinal misalignment), and I can tell you right now, with what you're describing, you have "forward head posture" BAD! Have someone look at you from THE SIDE, stand as straight as you can, and I guarantee you, your ear will NOT be where it SHOULD be: lined up with your shoulder! Your head is TOO FAR FORWARD, and it's due to SITTING TOO MUCH, especially IN FRONT OF YOUR COMPUTER! Believe me, I know! I have a constant battle with SHOULDER pain, due to TOO MUCH TIME spent on stuff like YA!!!
But if you absolutely CANNOT go to the Chiropractor, here are some simple exercises you can do. They are EASY, and take very LITTLE time! Do these TWICE a day!
You need to do "traction", which is, take a bath towel, and roll it into a "sausage", then lay it near the edge of one side of your bed. Then, lie on your back, and lay your NECK on the towel so that your head hangs down over the side of the bed. Just stay that way for about 5-7 minutes. Do that DAILY, preferable first thing in the morning, and just before going to sleep at night. Once you are comfortable with that, gradually increase that to 10 minutes at a time, and then 15. You will feel a definite difference in your neck and shoulders!
Also, you need to do "range of motion" exercises, which is as follows: Stand up, and lean your head ALL THE WAY FORWARD, until your chin touches your chest, and hold that for about 10 seconds. THEN, lean your head ALL THE WAY BACK as far as you can, again hold that for about 10 seconds; then lean your head SIDEWAYS, first to the RIGHT, and then to the LEFT, trying to touch your ear to your shoulder, again holding it for about 10 seconds each way; then turn your head ALL THE WAY to the right, like you're looking over your shoulder, hold it for 10 seconds, then do the SAME THING to the LEFT!
Then, once you finish all that, do the SAME motions with YOUR WAIST. Bend yourself forward and touch your toes with your hands, hold it for 10 seconds, then lean yourself ALL THE WAY BACK with your hands OVER YOUR HEAD, and hold it for 10 seconds; then straighten yourself up, and LEAN YOURSELF SIDEWAYS to the right with your LEFT hand going OVER your head like you're trying to touch the ground, and hold it for about 10 seconds; then do the SAME thing with your OTHER side to the LEFT with your RIGHT hand; then STRAIGHTEN UP and then TWIST YOURSELF, first to the RIGHT, where you have your arms up with your ELBOWS BENT to ease your "twisting", turning your WHOLE UPPER BODY so that you can look to your RIGHT BEHIND YOU, and again, hold that position for 10 seconds; then do the SAME thing the opposite way, again holding it for about 10 seconds.
Doing this will give your UPPER and LOWER spine a COMPLETE "range of motion", thus allowing your spine to stay FLEXIBLE YET STRONG! But I want to HIGHLY AND STRONGLY encourage you to PLEASE GO BACK TO YOUR CHIROPRACTOR and get ADJUSTED! Because while those exercises I just gave you will HELP, they are NOT ENOUGH! You need to start getting adjusted again, and this time, STICK WITH IT! With the pain you're experiencing, and the amount of time that's elapsed since you last went (how long has it been?), you will probably need to start with 3 visits a week! Maybe 2, but at MINIMUM, at least once a week! See about working out a payment plan of some sort! But do whatever you have to to GET ADJUSTED!
Even though you say you "can't afford it", you really can't afford NOT TO! Because what you have happening will only GET WORSE! And it will affect OTHER things, like YOUR SINUSES, or your blood pressure, or even YOUR HEART! Your spine is the KEY to your over-all health and wellness, and with that, YOUR DIET, and getting enough REST AND EXERCISE! My Chiropractor's philosophy is: "Eat well, Move well, Think well". THAT is what you need to be doing! Hope this helps!
I too am firm believer in chiro,but yes too expensive.Warm compresses,icy hot,proper pillows,self massage.No ins? Some ins cover chiro now if not maybe massage therapy covered.I don't have a lot to offer, i use one of those massagers when i can't get to chiro or massage therapy or afford either,it really helps.I too get VERY bad spasms to where my fingers go numb or when rinsing hair in shower my neck locks up,it is not worth it,try the above. I get afraid to drive at times cuz to look over shoulder the neck locks up and cannot see anything in mirrors,much more dangerous than paying for treatment.One other thing go to mall and get 5 min massage,usually pretty cheap and works.
Do not use exercises you through via Yahoo / answer !!!
You have only 1 head !