6 products to help you with neck and shoulder pain relief

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6 products to help you with neck and shoulder pain relief

Neck and shoulder pain usually occurs when their muscles are strained from overexertion, bad posture or after an accident. Most of the time, these muscles heal by themselves. Doing stretches and exercises can also treat the pain and prevent further occurrences by strengthening  them. If these fail, you may try using products that will help you get quick relief.

Vibrating posture corrector

Back pain, shoulder tension and headaches may be a result of poor posture, especially if your work requires you sitting in front of a computer all day. Vibrating posture correctors are smart posture trainers that take a more high-tech approach to posture correction. Rather than wearing a brace that forces your body to conform to proper prosture by restricting movement, a discreet little device instead sits on your upper back and emits a gentle vibration whenever it detects slouching. It’s like a subtle reminder to correct your form in order to build healthy new habits. It helps relieve pain and discomfort caused by poor posture. 

These devices adhere to a principle known as tissue adaptation, which suggests that if you hold your body a certain way for long enough, eventually it will conform to that position. Because posture correctors help you to maintain proper body alignment for long periods, after a while, your body starts to adapt on a cellular level. Chest tissue contracts and back tissue expands as the new position takes shape. This change in tissue length makes it very difficult to revert to your original posture. 

Neck hammock

A neck hammock uses the principles of cervical traction in physical therapy in order to provide neck pain relief. It can also help with neck recovery after an injury alongside proper medications or surgery. Aside from neck pain, it also helps with other conditions such as head or shoulder pain, tension headaches, poor posture and “upper back hump”, aka Dowager’s Hump. It also helps with herniated, compressed or bulged discs. Neck hammocks are good maintenance tools that help promote spinal hygiene and joint mobility. 

Deep tissue massager gun

Massage guns offer many of the benefits of massages without the expense or the hassle of a visit to the massage therapist. Massage guns use the principles of percussive therapy. They resemble power drills and deliver a vigorous massage, and they typically come with a selection of attachments, such as balls of varying firmness and finger-like tips, and have different settings. These devices are popular among endurance athletes such as triathletes 

Like a traditional massage, the gun aims to reduce inflammation by flushing extracellular fluids such as lymph fluid and venous blood out of the muscle tissue and into the circulatory system. It can help relax tight muscles, break up scar tissue and adhesions and minimize muscle soreness and tension. A small study published in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research found percussive therapy to be as effective as massage in preventing DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness).  

Cervical support neck brace

Cervical collars, also known as neck braces or C collars, are used to support your spinal cord and head. These collars are a common treatment option for neck injuries, neck surgeries and some instances of neck pain. The purpose of a cervical collar is to support your neck and spinal cord, and to limit the movement of your neck and head. They’re typically meant for short-term use while you recover from an injury, surgery, or pain.

Cervical collars come in soft and hard varieties. The soft type of neck collar is often used for moderate neck pain, while the hard collar is typically used for severe neck pain, spinal fractures and injuries.

TENS Unit

A transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit is a small device that can be very effective in relieving pain. A TENS unit is connected to sticky pads, called electrodes, that you place on your skin. The TENS unit sends electrical impulses through the electrodes to interact with nerve pathways in your body, helping to modulate or suppress pain signals in the brain. In the past, TENS units were prescribed by a doctor, but in recent years, several over-the-counter products have become available. 

TENS can be used to relieve neck pain. You just need to take a few precautions like being careful not to place electrodes close to your head or on the front or sides of the neck. TENS units should never be used near the head area since they send electrical impulses to the body. To treat neck pain with TENS, place two electrodes on the lower backside of the neck, preferably on either side of the painful area. Place two more electrodes above or beside the shoulder blades on either side of your spine. Move the electrodes a little farther down the back if neck pain occurs lower on the neck or spine.

Hot and cold gel pack

Ice, cold packs or even bags of frozen vegetables can numb pain and alleviate swelling. Apply them to sore areas for up to 20 minutes several times a day with one hour breaks after each application. Cold therapy works best if applied immediately after the pain occurs. 

After two or three days, switch to heat to relax tight muscles and improve blood flow. Heating lamps, hot pads or warm baths all produce this effect. Avoid falling asleep with a heating pad to prevent burns.

Got a question, or anything I can help with? My name is Steve Stretton, and I’m the owner and manager at Gelpacks.com. You can drop me a line here. Good luck!

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