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COMFORT
WHAT CAN I DO? MASSAGE THE
PAIN AWAY
While every case is different, these examples should help you understand
what might help your pain based on the cause: Good news! If you suffer from sore neck
and back muscles, you might find relief
CAUSE OF NECK/BACK PAIN WAY TO FIND RELIEF through massages.
Tight muscles or spasms Massage
While a licensed therapist should
Whiplash-like action Kinesio tape (looks like a stretchy perform deep tissue massages, you can
Band-Aid that pulls and stabilizes muscles) have a loved one give you an at-home
massage if he or she is careful and gentle.
You don’t know but it’s not intense Over-the-counter pain medication Follow these tips:
Chronic spasms Acupunture 1. B egin by rubbing sore areas on
Fall on your backside Physician visit the neck and back with long, powerful
Long-term spine pain that’s getting worse Spine stimulation, injections or surgery strokes. This helps warm up
the muscles.
Always speak to your primary care provider before seeking any treatments. Even if
you’re massaging a family member, you should seek medical guidance to avoid an injury. 2. Find sore areas, called “trigger
points,” by pushing gently along the
back muscles until you come to spots
that feel similar to rope.
3. M assage trigger points—use circular
movements, up and down motions,
and kneading.
4. W hen you have massaged the trigger
points, stretch the sore muscles.
FOR MASSAGE THERAPY WITH A
LICENSED, TRAINED PROFESSIONAL,
CALL WELLNESS CENTER, NAVICENT
HEALTH AT 478-477-2300.
GETTING STARTED EXPLORING MORE OPTIONS
For most people, treatment starts If conservative treatments don’t help reduce the pain, there is still hope. Many
with therapies that don’t involve different kinds of injections can help, too.
surgery. You may be asked to make
lifestyle changes—being more active, “Anti-inflammatory injections called nerve blocks stop pain by interrupting pain
using proper posture and even simple receptors in the nerve,” says Richard Rowe, MD, a neurosurgeon at Medical Center,
things such as changing the way Navicent Health. “Relief is usually instant and lasts for a few weeks. This can also
your desk is set up at work. These tell us where the pain is coming from so we’ll know what else to try.”
adjustments may help your neck and
back feel better. For people who need surgery, neurosurgeons, including Dr. Rowe and his colleagues,
and orthopedic spine surgeons perform procedures to relieve pressure and provide
“We refer most people who have support and stability to the neck and back. They use special techniques so patients
chronic neck and back pain to recover as quickly as possible.
physical therapy,” Dr. King-Whitby
says. “Physical therapists and other “Our goal is to provide the best possible relief using the most gentle methods at
rehabilitation specialists use a our disposal,” says William Dasher, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon who practices
variety of braces, exercises, stretches, at Navicent Health. “For those who need it, surgery can provide long-lasting relief for
treatments and alternative therapies chronic neck and back pain.”
such as acupuncture to restore function
and reduce pain. We look at the whole DON’T LET NECK AND BACK PAIN KEEP YOU DOWN. VISIT WWW.NAVICENTHEALTH.ORG
picture to help people feel better.” AND USE THE “FIND A DOCTOR” TAB TO CONNECT WITH A SPECIALIST IN YOUR AREA.
FALL 2015 | navicenthealth.org 13
