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Pain in Your Neck
Neck
pain is one of the more common discomforts of aging: About 85 percent
of people older than 70 suffer from it to some degree. Yet surprisingly
few people—especially men—know where it comes from
or what to do about it.
Think of holding a bowling ball in your hand and the strain it puts on your
wrist. Now you've got a pretty good idea how your neck feels holding up your
head.
Over the years, those same structures that let you bend and twist your neck
get tired of holding up your head. Discs—the elastic pieces of cartilage
that cushion the bones in your spine—grow less flexible and become thinner.
With less protection from the disks, spurs may develop on the bones. As a result,
your neck doesn't move as smoothly and becomes stiff and begins to hurt.
Once
neck pain gets started, it's apt to get worse. Muscles tense to
prevent movement in sore spots, and before long the muscles hurt
too. Pain is likely to radiate down into your shoulders and up
into your
head, turning your shoulders and neck into a rigid assembly.
As is the case with nearly every medical problem, prevention is
the best treatment. If you must do things that require repetitive
head
turning, take plenty of breaks. Support your head in a natural
position with a pillow or a rolled-up towel when you sleep, and
avoid sleeping
on your stomach. Finally, concentrate on good posture—sitting
and standing straight with your chin tucked in.
If your neck begins to send alarming messages, don't ignore them. Some
symptoms should send you to your doctor: tingling, numbness, or weakness
in your arms or legs, problems with erections, or loss of bladder or
bowel control. Otherwise, start an immediate course of self-administered
CHARM:
Cold
and heat
Try alternating cold packs and hot packs for 20 minutes
each a couple of time each day.
Activity
Avoid becoming completely inactive, which is likely to increase stiffness.
Rest
But
do avoid stress on your neck, and do try lying down a couple
of times during the day to give your neck a rest.
Medicine
Acetaminophen,
aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen may help reduce pain. If you
have continuing problems, your doctor may be able to prescribe
something stronger.
A
soft collar that wraps around your neck can provide warmth and help
remind you not to move in ways that hurt, but don't wear one all
day or for more than three weeks. Rather than immobility, the goal
is to begin exercising your neck as soon as possible.
Before
long, you'll be rubber necking with the best of them.
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