With today's busy lives, many people are living with chronic neck and shoulder pain. If you are one of the unfortunate many who lives with neck pain, then you will be pleased to know that there are many things you can do to help lessen your pain. Below are some tips to help you get started:

Tip: Use Ice Packs Instead of Heating Pads on Sore Neck Muscles

While your heating pad feels nice on your sore muscles at the end of a busy workday, the heat will actually make your pain worse the following day. Heat makes your muscles swell, and the swelling will aggravate your neck pain.

Instead of using a heating pad, place an ice pack on your sore neck muscles and alleviate your immediate pain while reducing the swelling that will affect how you feel tomorrow.

Tip: Soak in a Warm Bath with Epsom Salt

If you are not a diabetic and it is medically safe for you to soak in a warm bathtub, then you should soak your sore neck and shoulder muscles in a tub with a liberal amount of Epsom salt added into the water. Epsom salt is a special type of salt that contains magnesium; magnesium is necessary for your body to have healthy muscles. Soaking in an Epsom salt bath at least once or twice each week will help lessen your chronic neck pain. 

Tip: Limit Your Daily Phone and Screen Time

When you cradle your telephone between your shoulder and ear, or when you sit and stare at your laptop screen for hours on end, you put a lot of strain on the muscles in your neck. By limiting the amount of time you spend on your laptop or phone, you can greatly reduce your daily neck pain.

However, if you must be on the phone for extended periods of time, you can save your muscles by using a headset. If you must be on your laptop or computer for much of your workday, then take lots of short breaks and make it a point to stretch out your neck and shoulder muscles.

Tip: Seek Help from a Chiropractor

Finally, if you are frustrated because all your family doctor can offer you is endless physical therapy appointments or medication for your chronic neck pain, then it is past time for you to seek the help of a chiropractor. A chiropractor will realign your spine and the realignment process will lessen your chronic neck pain.