Are you suffering from neck pain?
It is such a busy time of year – running around and racing in all directions overload in every direction it is little wonder that pain caused by stress or anxiety can be a pain in the neck (“literally!”)
Since the average human head weighs about 10 lbs, the muscles in the neck, upper back and shoulders are already working very hard. Add some physical or emotional stress and you have the perfect recipe for chronic, uneasing neck, shoulder and back pain. Pain is typically caused by an autonomic reaction in the muscles and nervous system of the body, it can be triggered and exacerbated by stress hormones which create a “fight” or ~”flight” response. These hormones can cause you to tense your muscles which can cause pain short term but long-term a snowball effect can result in a spiral of pain, muscle spasm pain. Before matters get out of hand – what can you do to help yourself?
- Stretch it out – gentle stretching will help alleviate build-up of strain
- Use heat packs – gentle heat treatment can alleviate pain – we stock a selection of heat packs which make a very practical but useful Christmas present
- Use a supportive orthopedic pillow – you spend one third of your life in bed so by having the correct support you can minimise postural strain while you sleep for a large portion of your day
- Exercise – there is no tablet that can offer the myriad of benefits that exercise can offer. Time exercising can release endorphins “feel could” hormones which can mitigate the effect of negative stress
“Above all be gentle with yourself, set peace of mind as your highest goal and organise your life around it”