What to do with neck pain?

[Justincredible76]

I have been experiencing neck pain, mostly in the muscles of the neck, where if i extend it too far in one direction the muscles tense up. I believe i have multiple knots around the neck. I can take out the knots with effort and time, but they always come back. It might have to do with where i sleep, i sleep on a futon thats not exactly ideal for neck and body support, so it may just be that. Are there any methods you know of that could help eliminate the knots quicker besides massaging it till it goes away, or methods/exercises to prevent them from coming back? Also might there be any specific pillow you can recommend thatd make the problem dissolve easier? 

[peanutspathtotruth]

Dealing with this for years as well. In my experience the main problem is posture. I switched to sleeping on the ground because of neck and back pain - never had any back pain ever since, the neck is still coming back sometimes. Never sleep on your belly, it's the worst for your neck and back. 

Get a free test subscription and do this class once a day, nothing helped me more thus far: 

https://www.ekhartyoga.com/classes/309/neck-tlc

Don't forget to cancel if you don't want to pay.

Also, try one of those acupressure mats, I have one and I love it, really releases a lot of tension. I hope you find release in your neck soon! That pain can really be tough.

[Justincredible76]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BGWQSY8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_R8RvDbNMKRRT4

is this a good mat? I probably wont invest just yet, but ill see in the future if i can. You said sleeping on the ground helped? I may try that. Im trying not to stomach sleep anymore, but when i fall asleep on my side i wake up on stomach so im not sure what to do about that, i guess just time will improve that? What position do you sleep in, and how has floor sleeping improved your pain symptoms?

[rNOW]

Sleep on a firm sponge pillow. Don't sleep without a pillow and don't sleep on too large or fluffy pillows. The pillow should be the exact thickness that is the gap between your head and your back when you are standing upright. It's 1.5- 2 inches at most. Sleep on the back and if you need to sleep sideways, then you need to add extra pillow because now the gap is increased. However, try to use firm material and not fluffy ones. (I couldn't find an appropriate pillow in the market, so I just bought a piece of sponge with right density, cut it to size and put it in a pillow cover). 

I know a few exercise that my physiotherapist taught me when I suffered the neck ache. But you may need to consult a qualified physiotherapist to recommend which ones are for you. My physiotherapist also mentioned that eating too much of fermented food causes spasms. So avoid that and drink hot/ lukewarm water instead of cold beverages. Also avoid chickpeas, kidney beans and other 'hard to digest' foods. 

Edited August 16, 2019 by rNOW

[peanutspathtotruth]

4 hours ago, Justincredible76 said:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BGWQSY8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_R8RvDbNMKRRT4

is this a good mat? I probably wont invest just yet, but ill see in the future if i can. You said sleeping on the ground helped? I may try that. Im trying not to stomach sleep anymore, but when i fall asleep on my side i wake up on stomach so im not sure what to do about that, i guess just time will improve that? What position do you sleep in, and how has floor sleeping improved your pain symptoms?

Looks solid, I think as long as you don't take the absolute cheapest ones, there isn't any big difference. 

Yes it helped tremendously, but more for the back than the neck. You definitely don't want to be sleeping on your belly, for me even 20-30 minutes of doing so ruins my neck for the whole day. I sleep on the side always. I heard in the new "What I've Learned" video, he concludes that this position is the best, even on your back is supposed to be rather unhealthy. Watch the video maybe, it might give you some valuable information. 

If you sleep on the floor, it's of course okay to use a blanket or something for softness. I use a cheap yoga mat and a blanket on top. It still has the befenits of the firmness, it's really a slim layer only. If you think about transitioning to the floor, prepare for an accustoming phase which can take 1-2 weeks. For me, since then I sleep like a baby. I hope this helps. Definitely try the yoga session I sent you, it realigns your posture

Edited August 16, 2019 by peanutspathtotruth

[Justincredible76]

@peanutspathtotruth @rNOW Cool ill look into all of that, thank you guys for the info!

[Giulio Bevilacqua]

There are a lot of things to consider . 

 3 fondamental aspects ➡️ Physiological, Psychological, Energy.

For the Phsysiological pay attention on how you keep your posture during the day. Obviously you should keep your spine erect. 

When you sit try to sit straight but without any muscle effort , you have to find your balance point. Feel the weight against gravity this should move your Chi in the body. 

Sleep posture!! If you sleep with a pillow , it should be as thin as possible. This allows the neuron system to flow better. If you switch posture lay on the left side not the right. 

Do some back stretching. There are a lot of videos .  Very simple things. 

Psychological. For me  works best being aware of thoughts and emotions. Meditation and so on as you probably already know. 

For energy you could find a powerful chant. AUM chant . 7 times A 7 times U 7 times M .

Hope is helpful .

[Surfingthewave]

@Justincredible76 Could be a blocked throat Chakra? I suffered with neck, shoulder and back pain, had some Reiki and turned out it was that.