Keeping Your Neck Pain Free

Keeping Your Neck Pain Free

By 

Ashley Osier

MA, HHE, CPS, CSMT, CAMT, CAYT, CWHP

~ Holistic Wellness for Mind, Body, and Spirit ~

Chronic neck pain plagues hundreds of thousands of people in our society. Through my education and experience in working with clients in chronic pain from conditions and injuries and with my own chronic pain issues over the past 20 years, I continue to find the need to empower individuals with tools to be good stewards of their own pain management to be critical.

The following is from the American Academy of Pain Medicine. "Pain affects more Americans than diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined. The chart below depicts the number of chronic pain sufferers compared to other major health conditions." facts on pain

Condition	Number of Sufferers	Source
Chronic Pain	100 million Americans	Institute of Medicine of The National Academies (2)
Diabetes	25.8 million Americans (diagnosed and estimated undiagnosed)	American Diabetes Association (3)
Coronary Heart Disease (heart attack and chest pain) Stroke	16.3 million Americans 7.0 million Americans	American Heart Association (4)
Cancer	11.9 million Americans	American Cancer Society (5)

In 2000, I wrote a thesis called Turning the Tables on Chronic Pain and presented holistic alternatives in addressing and managing chronic pain. PRT, or Acussage, which is what I originally called PRT, was one of the alternatives found to consistently counter chronic pain symptoms in sufferers. The credibility of the technique is seen in how many people have taken to YouTube to video themselves using the tennis ball and other balls to address muscular tension and pain issues. This has been incredibly affirming, which makes me want to promote the technique even more. (For a copy of the thesis, contact me and I will get one out to you)

The neck is a vulnerable area and truly needs an experienced practitioner for effective pain relief, so presenting applications that can be used to relieve pain and tension should be done with care. There are a few tools that can be helpful in dealing with neck pain and tension as long as the pain is not acute and a medical doctor has agreed that it would be appropriate. I am currently working on an online class where individuals can sign up and learn the technique in a more detailed way without having to be local or come to my office, so stay tuned. Technology is an excellent tool to support pain sufferers across the globe. 

Topicals, Stretches, Compression, and Acupuncture Point Stimulation are generally safe practices in countering neck pain. For western medicine, the acronym RICE is often applied for the first 72 hours. This article is not dealing with injuries or acute pain, but RICE is an excellent way to address chronic pain and inflammation that is associated with pain. 

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REST...Practically I recommend resting the neck and not overstraining with vigorous exercise or physical demands when pain symptoms are present. There are different resting and sleeping positions that will be addressed in my online class on neck pain relief.

ICE...Ice is usually recommended when there is inflammation, but for many people ice can decrease pain symptoms whether or not there is inflammation.

COMPRESSION...Compression wraps or a gentle massage, like shiatsu, can effectively decrease pain symptoms and neck tension. See below for more information.

ELEVATION...Practically elevation can look like keeping the neck in an upright posture so that the muscles are lengthened and the cervical spine is free from compression. 

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Topicals are tonics, gels, creams, ointments, etc. that relieve pain, decrease inflammation, warm up an area, or aide in healing. I usually recommend:

1. Zheng Gu Shui-( I recommend this topical for anything related to nerve pain as well as an aid when there has been bruising)

2. Tiger Balm- (I recommend this topical to relieve tension, tight muscles and general soreness)

3. Biofreeze-(I recommend this topical to relieve inflammation, though not to be a replacement for ice therapy)

4. White Flower Essence-(I recommend this topical for issues related to arthritis/joint pain)

5. Arnica-(I recommend this to aid in healing and when there has been bruising)

Stretching is an essential tool in addressing pain and tension, but sometimes neck pain can be worsened by some stretches. Appropriate stretches given by certified teachers or physical therapists are highly recommended. Always check with a doctor if you are not sure if it would be contraindicated for your wellness plan. I have a complete seven way neck stretch flow that is available for clients and will be a part of the online class.

Compression is a form of massage and can work out tension and relieve pain. Most people automatically rub their neck when pain symptoms occur. The pain relief is not always permanent but a great way to get some relief throughout your day. I will have detailed instruction on compression techniques to relieve neck pain in the online class series on neck pain relief. If you find that your symptoms get worse, contact your physician. 

Acupuncture Point Stimulation is an excellent way to relieve general neck pain and tension and can be used in a variety of ways. There are a number of key acupuncture points on the neck and at the base of the skull that are essential. In the photo below, one of my students is using PRT on GB 20, which is behind the earlobe and straight back behind the mastoid bone toward the muscle of the neck in the hollow. 

In summary, relieving neck pain and tension can change a person's life. Hopefully this article gives practical tools and applications to assist you in decreasing neck pain and tension in your life. Always make sure you are checking with your physician prior to trying anything new so that you don't make your symptoms worse. For more information or to schedule an appointment or if you are interested in getting on my mailing list for upcoming online classes you can contact me at: ewsomatherapy@gmail.com. 

Stay blessed!
Ashley

Ashley Osier is a holistic health educator and therapist, stress management therapist, corrective posture and exercise specialist, an acupressure and massage therapist, stretching, massage, acupressure, and self-acupressure instructor and creator of the Point Release™ Technique and StretchFit™ Method. She specializes in working with stress management, injury prevention and pain relief, therapeutic stretching for individuals and couples, and posture awareness. She also offers coaching in nutrition and support for women going through divorce. Appointments can be scheduled by contacting her at ewsomatherapy@gmail.com.

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