Live Whole Health #82: Managing neck pain with acupressure

Neck pain can interfere with many aspects of your daily life and disrupt activities you enjoy. With our daily use of computers and cell phones, poor posture and biomechanics often contribute to neck pain. Looking up or down for extended periods strains your neck. That’s why moving and changing positions frequently is good for the body.

Acupressure has been used successfully for thousands of years and can be used safely along with other pain treatments. This simple acupressure routine may provide enough relief to calm the pain and improve the mobility of your neck. The points in this routine are easy to learn and can be applied with minimal effort by you or a caregiver. With practice, you will gain confidence in the acupressure routine. You may find using this routine regularly will maintain your neck mobility and prevent pain from becoming more severe.

Try this 11-minute acupressure routine with Laurieanne Nabinger, RN, Seattle VA Medical Center, to manage neck stiffness and pain.

Moving the body is important for maintaining health and well-being and can also sometimes help with pain management. There are many ways to get moving without giving up too much of your free time. Here are a few ideas:

• If possible, avoid the elevator and take the stairs.
• If unable to walk, try to take some gentle stretches and movements from your chair throughout the day. Choose hobbies that allow you to be active without realizing you are exercising.

Would you like to learn more about managing pain?  Check out the Whole Health for Veterans with Chronic Pain Podcast here:  https://www.spreaker.com/show/whole-health-for-veterans-with-chronic.

To learn more about Whole Health and how you can start your journey to a healthier you, visit https://www.va.gov/wholehealth/.